Rag Doll Sakura
by angel puppeteer
Summary: /SasuSaku/ They say that Uchihas have the power to make disasters their slaves. And Sasuke's the luckiest. He got the hottest disaster. Literally. “If you leave me, I’ll die.”
1. She

**RAG DOLL SAKURA**

___

_Lucy in the sky_

_I'm whisky frisky_

_Lady Jane, Marry Jane_

_Drive me rocked out_

_No pain, No delight_

_Get me dry high_

_Number 24_

_I need X_

___

**0.1**

…

…

… _can you hear me?_

Green eyes shimmered in the darkness.

…

…

_Sasuke-kun…?_

**0**

She blinded me…

**1**

_She knew nothing about Destiny or what they call Gears of Time. All she knew was she was made, not born. _

_She floated inside a tall transparent tank with various wires attached to her body. A respirator tightly clamped on her mouth, her body naked. Her thick bangs hung around her eyes and her hair curled around her body._

…

…

A girl—a five or six years old—was having the best time of her life under the cold rain. She had no umbrella, and it was okay. She twirled and danced, her pigtails moving with her every spin. After a few spins— some graceful, some clumsy, grudgingly, with a pout, she left her favorite place—the cliff with a Cherry Blossom tree, a swing attached to it.

She was smiling a silly grin, enjoying the weather when—

_SPLAT! _

A shriek came out from her and a boy with dark spiky hair and sharp features looked up at her in alarm.

"WAAAAAAAAAA… MY DRESS!" she cried out, staring at the mud-splattered white knee-length dress.

"So what?" The boy scowled, shrugging. "It's just a dress."

"_Just a dress_…?!" She repeated, eyes wide. "You're so heartless! This dress is from my father!"

The boy ignored her pointedly, his back on her. She huffed, pouting. Curious, she peeked over his shoulder.

"What are you doing, hmm?"

He looked over his shoulder, their faces in close proximity. A faint blush colored his cheeks. Quickly, he moved his face away and stepped away. "Nothing,"

The girl frowned, recognizing the small crater. "You're digging? For what…?"

"Stop asking."

"Then start answering my questions!"

The boy threw her a sharp glare before snapping a reply. "My puppy died." He saw her eyes widened, and to his horror, they became filled with tears. "Wha—you're crying! _Oi!_" He lifted his hands in front of his her face, confused. _Girls are weird._

And this girl was probably the weirdest.

"But it's so sad. Dying is so sad. When someone dies, it felt so lonely. My mother is dead… when I was born so Father, he was sad. He cried a lot, he said."

"Whatever." He said and continued digging. After that, he put his dead puppy on the little burial place. His eyebrows furrowed when girl placed a branch of fallen cherry blossom atop the grave. His frown deepened when she clasped her hands together.

"What are you doing?"

"Praying,"

"Dogs have no souls, you know."

"All the things have souls and hearts. Don't you know? Your puppy loves you."

"…?"

"Didn't your dog become angry when someone hurts you? Didn't your dog cry if you're sad and lonely? Didn't your dog become so happy when you're happy, too?"

The boy became silent.

"You're sad. But…be happy maybe he's gone but he lives in your heart."

He shook his head. "You're weird."

The girl steamed. "What did you say?"

"Whatever." He stood up and began to walk away.

"Chotto matte…!" the girl cried out and strode beside him. "Let's walk together." She grinned and looked up, lifting her small hands in the air, as if catching raindrops. "I love it when it rains!"

"Hn. It's so annoying when it rains."

"Annoying?" she looked revolted. "I can't believe you! First, you believe dogs have no souls and now you say it's annoying when it rains!" she shook her head, her short hair tied in pigtails was already soaked and few strands stuck to her pink face.

"We are _so_ different…"

He snorted.

"When it rains, my sadness disappears because rain washes away my sadness."

"Weird," he mumbled. She tackled him. "Whoa!" She was on top of him and tickling him.

"Haha! I discovered your ticklish areas already!" she exclaimed happily.

"STOP!" he ordered while fighting her fingers and not to laugh. He can't believe he can laugh when it's raining! They were laughing and chasing after each other. They didn't realize they had reached seashore.

"The seashore…!" The girl exclaimed, grinning. The boy stood next to her.

"You also loved seashores?"

"Hai!" she replied and started running towards it even though it's dangerous because of the rain. The tide was high. They chased after each other and when the boy caught her, he threw her in the waves, laughing loudly.

"Haha! I got you! I won!" he waited for her to resurface but she didn't. "HEY! STOP PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK ALREADY!" But she didn't appear. The rain got stronger and he began to get worried.

"Where are you? This is unfair!!" He yelled, frustrated as his worry mounted higher and higher. He started to tremble in fear when the girl's head popped out.

"H-HELP…! I don't know how to swim!!" She screamed, genuinely scared.

The boy didn't think twice. Even though he didn't know how to swim too, he dove to the tossing waters and swam to her. He reached her and put his arms around her. It seemed that she stopped breathing. He dragged her to the shore and laid her on the wet ground. The rain was going strong, winds howling above them. He waited for her eyes to open as he shook her shoulders.

"Wake up! Wake up! Don't put a joke on me!" He yelled. "Wake up!"

"Don't shake me too hard!" The girl whispered and sat. "You're shaking me way too hard!" she whined and glared at him. "You know—" she didn't finish her sentence when the boy hugged her tightly and trembled.

"H-hey… What's wrong?" she asked worriedly. But the boy hugged her even more.

"See? I'm okay!! Let's play again!"

"You're so stupid…" he whispered hoarsely.

"WHAT! You have some—" but she stopped as she saw his face as he pulled back. Tears are cascading down his pale cheeks and his dark eyes were so frightened.

The girl was sad because he was crying. "Please don't cry. I don't want you to cry!" She cried too and threw her arms around his neck. "I don't want you to be sad." The boy was shocked. He sniffed and pulled away from her.

"From now on, I don't want you to be sad. You will not cry again! Promise?" The girl said. The boy nodded and rose to his feet. He helped her get to her feet.

"I will protect you forever." The boy promised. The girl smiled.

"No." She said and took his hand. She put it on her chest and closed her eyes.

"I WILL PROTECT YOU."

She promised.

**2**

_I WILL PROTECT YOU. _

_She knew she must. And she will do exactly what she had promised. But the question is: who is that boy? Who is the one she must serve and protect? _

_She had waited for so long…so long to meet him…to protect him…she wanted to fulfill that promise and she will do. When would she meet him? When? The time was up and he must find her. Or should she be the one to find him? But she can't find him. She can't do such thing. She was imprisoned, locked, and sealed away. Because she's…what is she? What was about her that she must be imprisoned? Alone here in the darkness, full of gears and apparatus that was making her alive and breathing. _

…

…

"What's your name?" she asked as they lay on the wet sand in their sides, facing each other.

The boy frowned. "Is it important?"

"Of course it is! I want to know the name of the person I'm going to protect with all my life!" The girl said.

The boy frowned harder. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Let's go."

"No! Not until you tell me your name!" she whined. The boy just snorted and walked away. "Hey, wait up! Tell me your name!" The boy ignored her and continued to drag her. "AGHH…! You are so careless." The girl snapped. She yanked her hand free and about to strangle him when the boy murmured,

"Mother…"

Instantly, the girl gazed up to the woman under a big black umbrella. Her jaws hung open as she stared at her. The woman smiled and the girl blushed.

"Wow! You are so beautiful…" she whispered in awe, her eyes twinkling. The girl turned to him and elbowed him to the ribs. The boy winced. "No wonder why you are so pretty!!! Your mom is so beautiful…"

The boy scowled. "Pretty…? I am pretty?" he asked incredulously, annoyed. But the girl continued to gaze up to his mother with a dazed look in her face.

The boy got irritated. "Stop staring!"

The girl blushed, and then looked at him, smiling. "I'm sorry."

"It is raining so hard and you two are out to play. You will get sick." The woman said gently.

The boy shook his head, spraying water to the girl next to him. "YATTA!!! You are so careless!" she complained.

The boy stuck out his tongue. The girl glared but smiled so sweetly when an idea popped out in her mind. "Tell me your name."

He glared. The girl was doing it again. She knew he could not refuse knowing his mother was present. "Shut up." He mouthed. But the girl continued to smile in a wicked way.

"What is your name?" she asked loudly, her eyes gleaming. The boy gritted his teeth. She was deliberately taking advantage!

As expected, his mother looked down at him and said. "Why did you not tell her? You two are already friends and playmates, you should tell her."

The girl grinned triumphantly then mouthed: "See? I won!!" she began to skipped around. She abruptly stopped when his mother looked up again but still, there's a grin in her face.

"What is your name?" she enjoyed teasing him especially the way his beautiful eyes sparked in annoyance.

He grunted.

"Hey, I didn't catch it!' she exclaimed and leaned closer, smiling widely.

He was irritated. She played a trick on him. He looked at her and lifted an eyebrow when he saw the almost genuine sincere innocent smile in her face.

"Tell me your name…"

"_Uchiha."_ He grunted.

The girl frowned then smiled again. "That is not your first name." she said, trying not to laugh at the expression on his handsome face. His cheeks were red and his eyes were so narrowed that she could not tell whether he was sleepwalking or just narrowing his eyes. But he was still very cute.

Uchiha-san cleared her throat as the two looked at each other, glaring at the part of his son.

"_Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."_ The boy finally said slowly, hoarsely.

The girl smiled sincerely, very pleased. "Ah, Uchiha-kun. Sasuke-kun…" She smiled again and skipped back. She turned around and skipped a few steps before turning around to face them.

"I'm so happy!!! Thank you! Bye-bye, Sasuke-kun!!!" she waved her hand, and then bowed her head as a respect to the woman. "Ah, goodbye!"

She skipped away when the boy just realize something. He took steps forward. "Hey! What yours!?" he called after her. But the girl just smiled at him and waved. She blew a kiss. The boy blushed.

"You are unfair! Tell me your name!" he roared, ignoring the rain.

"Bye-bye, Sasuke-kun!" she yelled.

"Oi! OI!"

**3**

_And yet her name means nothing. _

_She was nothing. _

_She had nothing._

_Not even a memory._

…

…

The boy remained there as long as he could see her skipping. "Sasuke-kun…lets go."

He spun around and obeyed. She put a jacket around him. She saw the scowl in his face and smiled.

"She's so unfair." He gritted and pulls the jacket around him tighter.

"Sasuke-kun—"

"She nearly died." He cut off briskly.

"Died?"

He nodded. "Yes. She nearly drowned…because I throw her in the waters. It's my fault…" he said. "And I… I…c-cried."

She smiled gently. "You…cried."

Sasuke nodded. "I…I was so scared. I cried…then I promised her…" he looked directly in his mother's eyes. "I will always protect her."

"You do?"

"Yes." He answered firmly. She smiled. "But she rephrased it." He added curtly, stubbornly. He was scowling.

It was her turn to frown. "Rephrased it…?" she has a weird idea about it. The child nodded.

"She said: _she will protect me_." He said tersely at the same time blushing. He looked up at his mother and found her smiling widely. He blushed even harder. "But I know it was not that way, Mother! I can look at myself and it was not a girl should do! Mother—she's just—!"

"Hey, it's a very nice promise though it was unusual. But you are so lucky that a girl had promised you something like that. It's very rare that boys get promises like that from girls." His mother explained.

**4**

_The Machine beeped and the vision blurred. It was having a hard time to perform its task. Even though it possessed such Intelligence beyond Human, it still found the job hard. Maybe because it was really hard, maybe because the Machine was lazy. Maybe the Machine found conscience._

_No, it can't be. It must do what it was tasked to do. No matter how inhumane it was, no matter how hard it was, no matter how painful it would be…and no matter who would take the blame._

…

…

They were playing around the tree when her father approached her, told her he had something to tell her. The little girl nodded and told Sasuke to wait for her. She followed her father in one corner away from the kids. She saw from the corner of her eyes that a blonde girl and blonde boy approached Sasuke-kun but the dark-haired boy waved them off.

"Listen to me."

"Hai, otoosan."

"You will leave…Leaf today."

Her eyes widened. "I…I will l-leave Leaf…today?" Her father nodded determinedly. "But…" She began to tremble. "N-no…I…c-can't! I CAN'T!" she cried, her fists clenched in her mouth. "I…can't! I can't…leave Sasuke-kun!"

"You have to! I know it's hard…but for the sake of… Please, listen to me. If you love Sasuke-kun…you'll leave Konoha."

The girl looked up, round-eyed.

"For the sake of the person you love…you'll leave Konoha." Her heart pounded. _No…I can't…_

"_For the sake of the person you love…you'll leave Konoha."_

But…She trembled. "F-for the sake…of the person…I loved the most…"

"…"

"…I will leave Konoha."

**5**

_And the gears of destiny moved at last. The girl took her destiny even though it will cost her very life…leaving everything…losing everything… including…_

_Her memory._

…

…

She slowly walked back to her playmates. Sasuke immediately ran to her side and took her hand.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered tearfully. She looked nervously around and saw Jounins surrounding the place. A blonde man with very blue eyes looked at her and nodded.

"Sasuke-kun," she turned to him. Children were beckoned to leave. They were left alone except the ninjas surrounding them… _her._ Sasuke frowned. Ninjas were everywhere, his parents…the special Jounins…her father… the blonde man…

The blonde-haired ninja with blue crystal eyes was approaching her. She panicked and faced Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun…I… will leave Konoha today!" She said hurriedly, as if telling him so fast will decrease the pain she felt. "I… I want to say goodbye!" she said, grasping his hand.

Sasuke grasped her back. "What are you saying!?"

"I…I'm going away from Konoha." Her tears streamed down her cheeks.

"NO! You can't!" Sasuke snapped angrily, panic in his voice. What the hell was she saying? Another joke? Another prank?

"Sasuke-kun… do you remember my promise? No matter what happens…I will fulfill it…I promise." The girl whispered.

"You can't…" Sasuke croaked, grabbing her hands.

"I have to leave Konoha for the sake of the person I love…"

"NO!" His grip tightened that it almost crushed her hands. His eyes glittered.

Sasuke glared at her. "You…promise me…how you could fulfill it if you're going to leave Konoha?" he asked scornfully and pushed her hand away.

"Sasuke-kun…" she bit her lip. "I will come back…I will find a way to come back to you." She said.

She whirled around and ran to the blonde-haired man but Sasuke caught her arm and hugged her. "You can't leave…!"

The girl cried and pulled away. "I have to and always remember…I will come back!" she took his hand and placed it on her heart. "I will protect you…I promise." Tears spilled down in her cheeks and smiled.

"Remember me…Sasuke-kun."

A ninja appeared behind Sasuke and tried to pull him away from the girl but the boy gripped her hand so hard. The girl started to choke with controlled tears as the blonde-haired blue-eyed shinobi pulled for her, too.

"S-Sasuke…kun…"

"LET GO!!" Sasuke hollered and gripped her tighter. His father sighed and approached his struggling son. He nodded to the ninja, took his son's shoulders and pulled.

"Sasuke,"

"LET GO, FATHER! NO!" His grip slowly broke. "NO! Tell me… Tell me your name!!"

"SASUKE-KUN…!" She screamed, reaching out to him.

"WAIT! NO! Otoosan, let GO!" His dark eyes widened as a large red frog with a pipe materialized in front of them, the blonde ninja taking the girl to the creature.

"NO! YOU…you haven't told me your name!" He shouted, struggling angrily. "LET GO!" he roared so viciously that his father finally let him off. He fell hard to his knees. Ignoring the bruising pain, he ran towards the giant frog, shouting.

"Tell me your name! TELL ME!"

"Sasuke…kun!"

"Tell me…tell me your name! What's your name!!??" The frog gave him a bleary look and took off. "NO! Don't take her away! STOP!" he ran after the creature but in a flash, the frog was gone.

"NO! Give her back to me!" but the creature can no longer hear him.

"WHAT'S YOUR NAME??? TELL ME!!" he shouted angrily.

…

"I hate you!" he fell hard to his knees, panting, and his eyes wide.

"Sasuke-kun," he looked up, saw the hem of the Hokage's clothes. _I am an Uchiha! I shall not show weakness! NO!_ He stood up rigidly and glared. _This is the man…he took my hime-chan away._

"Someday, you'll understand." The Hokage said, raising his hand to the boy's forehead. "And someday, you'll see each other because if you really mean a lot to _her_, she'll come back." Sasuke felt the strange coldness in the Third Hokage's fingers.

"Because if you really are part of _her_ dream or IS _her_ dream, she'll come back one day."

_That girl…_

He closed his eyes and the coolness engulfed him.

"_All the things have souls and hearts. Don't you know? Your puppy loves you."_

"_I WILL PROTECT YOU."_

"_I have to leave Konoha for the sake of the person I love…"_

"_I will come back…I will find a way to come back to you."_

"_Remember me…Sasuke-kun."_

Goodbye.

**6**

Can you hear me?

…

…

_Sasuke-kun…?_


	2. God I hate him

_Ki ni kuwanai aitsu _

**7**

_She_

_May be the face I can't forget._

_A trace of pleasure or regret_

_May be my treasure or the price I have to pay._

I can see her face.

The poisonous curved of her lips…

The sinfully beautiful eyes…

And her sinister smile.

_She may be the song that summer sings._

_May be the chill that autumn brings._

_May be a hundred different things_

_Within the measure of a day._

She's a sin.

Lucifer's hellion.

Death's little sister.

Man's downfall.

_She_

_May be the beauty or the beast._

_May be the famine or the feast._

_May turn each day into a heaven or a hell._

As a man, it's normal for my hormones to react.

As a ninja, it's normal for me to decline.

As Uchiha Sasuke—

_She may be the mirror of my dreams._

_A smile reflected in a stream_

_She may not be what she may seem_

_Inside her shell_

My soul aches to know her name.

But, still, I am a Shinobi of my Village.

I am a shinobi.

_She who always seems so happy in a crowd._

_Whose eyes can be so private and so proud_

_No one's allowed to see them when they cry._

But I am a man.

I try to reach for her, to yank her around to face me.

But as just as I touch her, she breaks into shards.

_She may be the love that cannot hope to last_

_May come to me from shadows of the past._

_That I remember till the day I die_

She breaks into pieces.

So…she's just a reflection in the mirror.

How tricky.

_She_

_May be the reason I survive_

_The why and wherefore I'm alive_

_The one I'll care for through the rough and rainy years_

As I watch her broken pieces, I caught the color of her eyes.

_Me I'll take her laughter and her tears_

_And make them all my souvenirs_

_For where she goes I've got to be_

_The meaning of my life is_

They are green.

_She, she, she_

And I heard her voice.

"…_can you hear me…?"_

Who are you?

…

"…_Sasuke-kun?"_

**8**

13 years ago. Spring. Evening.

_A large ancestral house was burning—a hell in earth…a smoldering pieces and pieces of wood, porcelain, tatami and red/black marbles._

_In front of the inferno was a man—big and broad-shouldered. He was stiff and was staring up to the fire. A little girl was hugging his legs in a trembling bear hug, watching the house ablaze but soon pressed her face in the man's leg, sobbing and her shoulders shaking._

Grandma, I'm sorry.

_Both flinched. A window shattered and a burning body fell from it. There was a scream and the little girl spun around, terrified and horror-stricken._

Grand ma, I'm sorry!!

_KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…!_

"_NO!" the little girl run towards the blazing house, the man still stiff._

Help me.

Help me.

_He can still remember. The woman they, he and his best friend, both loved. He can still hear her scream with pain and terror as…fire consumed her body…_

Please, don't hate her.

She's my…

Smile.

She's our…

_She was slowly engulfed in a fire…her body dissolving…melting as the fire…_

Daughter…

NO! A Devil's Child!

_He screamed. "STOP!" and ran after his little girl._

**9**

KONOHA CONFIDENTIAL

_What a lame design._ Tsunade thought mockingly, arching her fine yellow eyebrow, an ancient-looking book in her desk. She flipped it open and frowned.

_**PROJECT HEI KO SHI HEN KEI**_

The title page read.

"Project…Parallelogram?" _such an unsophisticated name for a top-secret experiment._ Many doubt the authenticity of the evidences that proved that the project DID happened many years ago when Leaf was still a tiny village. However, few believed—including her and Jiraiya—that such project or experiment happened and somewhere out there, the product existed.

She flipped the pages and scanned the texts…fetus…pyro _what?_ …_What the heck was that? Oh, never mind_… a human womb…tests gone wrong… the cells…skin tissues…brain cells? AND brain floating in a glass tank…?? _Weird…_a woman…50 years of development… a Devil's touch and protection … and fire-_training_? The Clans participated in the Project…

"Bullshit." She muttered aloud and was about to shut the book close when a familiar name caught her eye—no, name_s._

Uchiha.

Of course, the Clan was awfully well-know. Victims of a massacre, a tragic clan, producers of kick-ass dangerous pretty boys with a personality of a stinking cabbage, and THE famous mass murderer, Uchiha Itachi who, unfortunately, despite his good looks, had a serious brain problem. Why, slaughtering your own kindred was a proof that you got a brain stuck in your anus. _But hey,_ Tsunade thought, he spared his brother whom he calls very fondly— "Foolish little Brother."

How sweet.

Next—

Hyuuga.

_Hmm?_ Pretty famous, too, but obviously not as hot as the kick-ass-dangerous-pretty-boy-with-a-personality-of-a-stinking-cabbage, in short—the Uchiha Sasuke-kun.

Seriously though, Sasuke alone can topple the Hyuuga Family's popularity. Leaf Village was known for its superb strings of Hokage (_HA! OF COURSE!_ Tsunade thought, glowing eerily.) But recently, Sasuke-kun had set another milestone for all Fire Country dwellers to remember.

He turned down twenty VIRGINS (mind you, _virgins_) including fourteen old maids offering their untouched maidenhood. That made people think he had a skeleton in a closet.

In other words, a…gay?

SASUKE FANS: NO WAY! (with rabid drooling and rolling eyeballs)

Tsunade made a sign of a cross. Please God, no. What a waste of God's gift.

Anyway…Back to Hyuuga—

The Family was popular and well-respected for their Byakugan, literally, White Eyes and s-s-s-stuttering Shy Timid Hinata and most of all the apathetic Branch Member Hyuuga Neji who is worthy enough to compete with Sasuke for the Most Straight Hair Crown.

Lastly—

Haruno.

As a sign of seriousness, she frowned.

_Hmm,_ according to History books and Leaf records books, the Haruno Family was considered as a legend, mostly because they're VERY ancient and important in the history of Konoha. But for some reason, what made them VERY ancient and important was never printed in written materials.

The family was very mysterious—and as far as she can remember, cold, distant and taciturn. She looked down at the manuscript.

_The Haruno Family is mysterious and powerful in their own way._

In what way? No one knows what the hell made them powerful in their own way except that they're ancient and important. She looked for another record book.

According to the 150th edition of the Leaf Today, the family disappeared exactly 13 years ago. How, no one knows, _again._ They just _mysteriously _disappeared, literally been wiped off just like the Uchiha Clan.

The last Haruno died mysteriously—_Hell, all of them is MYSTERIOUS! _Tsunade thought_—_a Haruno child went missing at the same time the Yondaime Hokage disappeared without a trace after leaving his heritage to the Third.

Tsunade fixed her eyes again on the KONOHA CONFIDENTIAL. Uchiha. Hyuuga. Haruno. The three were the most revered families in Leaf—ah, scratch the Haruno.

The disappearances were all suspicious.

She read a line from the KONOHA CONFIDENTIAL: 11 years ago, Haruno Kenji died mysteriously. _Damn it, another mysterious death. Did they ever get tired of disappearing and dying mysteriously? AND THE WORD SUCKED BIG TIME! HOW REDUNDANT!_

_-Rumors circulated that he committed suicide._

The Project Parallelogram.

Her grandfather and granduncle both participated in the project along with the three families. Two had special Bloodline techniques and the other had none…now that _was _suspicious.

She leaned back to her chair, staring at the books and documents piled on top of each other in her desk. Then, to the left drawer, at first she was uncertain…but…the elders and the council members told her that the Third left a message to her.

A VERY important message— so, she pulled the drawer open and took out a VHS tape. She stared at it for a long time, sighed and inserted it to the VHS player.

The screen blurred and after some time, the Third's face appeared.

"Tsunade-hime,"

**10**

"…_Sasuke-kun?"_

There was a loud rapid string of knocks that was so annoyingly shrill and continuous that it caused pretty boy Uchiha Sasuke-kun to flare up in annoyance. He groaned loudly and pushed himself up, got off his comfortable bed and bounded down the stairs.

He was about to wrench the door open when he noticed he's shirtless. He went up the stairs, yanked an Uchiha shirt and started going down the stairs while putting on his shirt.

The knocking went louder. Angry, he wrenched it open and received the fist straight in face which was about to hit the door to knock.

"Fricking hell," growled Sasuke, lifting a hand to his nose to stop the bleeding.

"Uh, it's an accident! I swear I didn't do it in purpose!" Naruto swore, raising his hand in surrender.

"Dobe." Sasuke snarled dangerously.

"Hey…hey, chill, man. It's not intentional."

"Dobe." The prodigy growled again. "Go away. NOW."

"But—"

"NOW."

Naruto blinked and shrugged. An angry Uchiha is not someone to annoy with. "Uh, okay but reminders, baka na Sasuke, we're going to meet Kakashi-sensei this morning at seven o'clock in the bridge! Don't be late!"

"Dobe, we're no longer Genin. I am already a Jounin, you see."

Naruto drew himself tighter. "So am I! But who knows? He might treat us a free ramen, eh?"

"Whatever. I'll go if you shut up."

"Ja matta, baka yaro."

**11**

Tsunade's brows were twitching as she rang for Shizune.

"What was it, Hokage-sama?"

"Send Kakashi to me."

"Hai."

**12**

Sasuke shoved his fists inside his pockets. Wearing his Jounin uniform except for the green vest, he was a major attraction. He opted for customize black vest with the Uchiha Clan symbol. He was still pale and good sleep didn't help either. His dark eyes glittered.

That dream… He had the same dream last week and he noticed they were getting more frequent than when he's twelve….he ran his hands through his dark hair; his downcast eyes looked troubled as fragments of forgotten memory played inside his mind like filmstrips…

_Who are you?_

_Can you…_

…_hear me?_

_Sasuke…kun?_

What a headache. He rubbed his temples roughly, screwing up his eyes. Something…something was trying…_no. _

_IT was someone. _Someone…someone…

But…who?

_Damn it! Stop thinking about it._ But he can't. Every time he saw a girl with green eyes…he can't stop but to wonder: _was she the one I'm dreaming about?_

No. He had seen women with green eyes but they don't affect them _this _much.

Damn it. Those dreams should stop. And to stop those dreams from showing up, he needed a grueling mission. A mission that will make him cling to his life…that will make him think nothing of that dream.

But…that woman Hokage…

He cursed under his breath.

It's been two years since the Orochimaru incident. Tsunade granted him pardon after the special retrieval team was assigned and managed to bring him back. But in exchange, he's not allowed to have missions. The woman gave him missions, alright, but it was the biggest _insult_ in his career as a shinobi and as an Uchiha. C-rank missions? The worst, she gave him once a _D-rank mission!_

Was she insane? She was, after all, she _is _a woman. Well, a least, he's a Jounin. But a damn Jounin he is. Who on earth performs C and D rank mission when you're a Jounin?

He and Naruto were both Jounins, but Naruto got A-rank missions, even a S-rank at least thrice in a row, but he, a prodigy since twelve and most of all an _UCHIHA_, a Sharingan user… got C-RANK.

What the hell.

_Damn it._

Team Seven was considered as a legend. Uchiha Sasuke—the Sharingan wonder boy, Uzumaki Naruto—the powerful fox boy, and Hyuuga Hinata—the Hyuuga Main House heir.

There were no other teams that can be as legendary as them. Uchiha and Hyuuga joint was already a powerful combination. The Sharingan and the Byakugan and most of all, the strawberry on top—was the Nine-Tails Fox Demon.

So, they were the Dream Team with a Dirty Dreaming Sensei but nonetheless, a very powerful sensei: Hatake Kakashi. His one major flaw was his habit: reading porno novels even in the middle of teaching and a battle.

He hated his sensei's guts. And he hated his perverseness more. But Kakashi-sensei taught him the Chidori, his most powerful move so, he respected the man a bit.

As he neared the bridge, he passed by the Ichiraku, saw a yellow head that means…

"Dobe," _and he told me not to be late._ As he trod towards Naruto, a puff of smoke blossomed in front of him—right under his nose. Narrowing his eyes, he leapt back and when the smoke cleared, he grimaced.

"YO." Kakashi greeted, palm up, hand raised in greeting.


	3. I wonder how far I've become

_Hateshinai kimi no moto e_

**13**

Dark eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What do you want?"

Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

**14**

Kakashi escorted Sasuke along the corridor to the Hokage's Office. The younger boy watched the man from the corner of his eye. "What was this all about?" asked Sasuke monotonously.

"You'll see."

He glared. There was something odd in that tone. Something he didn't like. But of course. He disliked a lot of things. And that included Kakashi. "What will I see, _sensei_?" Sasuke said with a snarl.

Kakashi chuckled. He recognized that tone. It was the 'I-am-your-god' superior tone. And the most dangerous too. The type that spelled P-U-N-C-H-I-N-T-H-E-F-A-C-E.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, I bet this meeting will make you happy."

The Uchiha snorted, thrusting his fists inside his pockets. "I have a very bad feeling about this." He muttered darkly.

Kakashi clicked his tongue. "So suspicious. Trust me."

Sasuke snorted mockingly. "Trust _you?_" He drawled coldly. "That's exactly the point. I _don't."_

Kakashi shook his head, looking at him thoughtfully, his brows crinkling in mild amusement and a tinge of irritation. _Asshole, _he thought. _Kids these days, no manners, no respect._ "Again, so suspicious. Genes like yours are hazardous. And to think you planned to reproduce." He shook his silver head. "Suspicious manner-less Uchiha monsters."

"Don't speak my name in vain." Sasuke growled.

Kakashi faked a surprised look. "What are _you, God?"_

**15**

They reached the Office and found it deserted except for Shizune's pig. As usual, the office was wide with large red banner hanging from the ceiling: DO YOUR BEST, UNDERLINGS! Sasuke raised his brows and glanced at the pile of paperwork waiting to be read. And to think Naruto dreamed to be a Hokage… he's in for a rude awakening. Sound of doorknob turned and door being pushed open, Kakashi (who hid his educational tool back to his pouch) and Sasuke faced the doorway. Tsunade walked in, followed by Shizune and other Jounins and few masked ANBUs.

Sasuke kept his glare and Tsunade glared back.

"What is it this time?" asked Sasuke coldly.

"A mission for you, Uchiha,"

The boy frowned suspiciously. "Hn. Another damned E-rank—"

"THERE IS NO E-RANK MISSIONS, UCHIHA!" Tsunade thundered.

Sasuke snarled. "Whatever."

Tsunade gritted her teeth and sat down roughly. "Asshole." She muttered, crossing her arms. "Shizune!"

"Hai!"

"Turn it on."

"Hai!" Shizune scrambled towards the TV set, grabbed the remote and handed it to Tsunade. "Alright…" the Fifth pointed it to the TV screen. Instantly, the screen flickered into life, showing the deceased Third's face.

"Was it the…Third?" Gai asked, amazed.

"Oh come on. Who else?" Tsunade said, rolling her eyes. Upon seeing Third's face, Gai burst into tears, murmuring how he missed their _whoring_ days. "SHUT UP, GAI!" Tsunade screamed. "Anyway. Apparently, the Third and the Fourth both left a message—"

"The Fourth? You mean, THE Fourth??" Gai demanded.

A vein twitched. "Are you a retard, Gai?" growled Tsunade. "Just watch and listen." She eyed Sasuke sharply. "Especially you, Uchiha Sasuke."

**16**

After several minutes, there was a stillness.

"So, there's a Heiko shi hen kei Product?" asked Anko.

"I thought it's a legend?" Ibiki pointed out.

"A legend became a reality?" Kurenai said.

"It can't be! If it is indeed true, that product is very dangerous." A female Jounin argued.

'**The Project Heiko Shi Hen Kei yielded a perfect weapon of destruction.'**

"The legend of Heiko Shi Hen Kei must remain a legend, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade leaned back to her chair. "Didn't you hear? The weapon was designed to—"

'—**to protect Konoha.'**

"I know, Hokage-sama but the Third said—"

'—**the result was not what they expected.'**

'—**something went wrong.'**

"Right. Tool made to protect Konoha. But still a tool capable of destruction—" Ibiki started.

"We will retrieve this weapon and bring it here." Tsunade announced firmly.

"WHAT!"

The ninjas gawked at their leader.

"But it was sealed somewhere! The Third said—" argued Iruka with a frantic wave of his hands.

'**Only the Haruno Family knows where.'**

"Yeah sure…" Gai drawled.

"But there's one minor flaw. They're dead." Ibiki said. "ALL of them."

Tsunade twitched. "Do I look stupid to you? Course they're dead."

"Hokage-sama, it's dangerous!" Shizune cried out. "You must think over and over again before deciding so impulsively!"

"Are you crazy? It can protect Leaf from invaders—" the blonde Hokage started.

"Or destroy us." Kakashi interrupted coolly. His colleagues gave him weary glances. "It depends on who uses it for what."

Tsunade was silent for a while. Then she spoke. "Precisely, anyone can want it. Orochimaru can want it."

There was a loud silence.

Sighing, Tsunade twirled her hair around her finger. "The Third knew Orochimaru wants it. I last heard he began searching for it last year when Sasuke decided to come back. You don't have to be a genius to figure out he'll use it against us—" she paused, "against Leaf." She narrowed her eyes. "But we'll beat him. I will beat him to the pulp. That sick bastard." She turned to Sasuke. "Uchiha-kun, I told you to listen well, didn't I?"

He frowned. "Well enough to hear the Fourth wanted me to look for this weapon."

"Excellent. You'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Alone?"

"Scared?"

The boy snorted.

Tsunade smiled. "Alright, you're dismissed."

Sasuke left without saying goodbye.

'—**send Uchiha Sasuke-kun. Send him alone.'**

Why the kid? Why him?

'—**Send him alone.'**

The Fourth demanded Sasuke to go and retrieve the weapon.

An image of the Fourth Hokage Yondaime registered in her mind.

And the Fourth HIMSELF said that?

'—**Send him alone.'**

'—**Send him alone.'**

Send Sasuke...alone.

Sasuke…

The Fourth knew…there's a Heiko Shi Hen Kei Product…he knew… but how? And most of all…why specifically request Sasuke to be sent?

**17**

"WHAT!"

Hinata had to cover her ears as Naruto hollered at their sensei.

"NOOOO WAYYYY!" Naruto yelled while shaking his head vigorously and moving his hand side by side in front of his face.

"Naruto—"

The blonde boy suddenly clung to his sensei, wrapping his arms around Kakashi's neck, his eyes large and watery. "Oh please oh please! Let me go with Sasuke!!"

"Naruto—"

"He's under probation, is he?? So why would the Old Hag give him an S-Rank mission!!??"

"Naruto—"

"Besides," Naruto let go of Kakashi's neck. "I AM LEAF'S NUMBER ONE NINJA!!"

"Who said so?"

The three of them whipped their head around and saw Sasuke all geared up. Naruto's golden hair stood up in the end, his blue eyes widened and steam came out from his ears making him look as if his hair was on fire.

"YOU…?" Naruto exclaimed in horror (and anger and jealousy).

"What?" asked Sasuke with brow raised.

"You stole my MISSION!"

"Your mission?" he mocked. "Who told you it's _your _mission?"

"You bastard—" Naruto was about to strangle Sasuke when Hinata cut in.

"Naruto-kun, calm down. It's about time Sasuke-kun to perform a mission." Hinata said gently while tugging Naruto's sleeve.

Naruto turned to her. "BUT S-RANK MISSION…?" he whined. "No way!"

"Shut up." Sasuke turned to Kakashi. "I'm leaving." He said with a curt nod and turned around to walk towards the Konoha gates.

"Hey YOU asshole! Make sure you'll come back alive!" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke looked back at him. "Dobe."

"WHY YOU—"

**18**

Day 7:

Sasuke stared hard at the map. Right…turn? _Yeah sure_…then there would be a— _wait,_ forest again!? How many forests does he have to cross?! That would be the thirteenth forest. He read the tiny scrawl at the bottom of the map.

-This is the Reiko no natsu forest.

_Reiko no natsu? _

-But also called…Twilight Forest.

He remembered what Tsunade told him.

"_Don't ask me where I got this map. Obviously, I won't tell. But for sure, Orochimaru has the original copy."_

"_How?"_

"_Don't know. So there's a possibility you'll meet him and his henchmen so be careful and work more secretly and silently." She pointed a finger at the map. "This forest—also called the Twilight Forest. It's a forbidden forest. This forest is at the very edge of the Fire Country's borders. The last forest the country has on its border." She traced a finger, stopping at the X-figure. "This is your last stop. This is where the product lies. I told you this forest is forbidden, didn't I? Know why?"_

"_Who cares?"_

_Tsunade scowled. "You will because the Twilight is the forest of Fire."_

"_Forest of Fire?"_

"_Yes. The trees here are burning."_

"_Tree torches…?"_

"_Hai. Anyone who enters this forest will be destroyed by fire."_

_Sasuke raised a brow._

"_In other words, this is the entrance to Hell."_

"_You're giving me a free and immediate passage to Hell?"_

_The woman smirked. "Hai, free fare, eh?"_

"_Whatever."_

"_People who dare enter the forest are perished by fire. The Fire Country highest officials prohibit entrances. They even pass a bill. However, according to my research, it wasn't what they describe it."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_It's—"_

Sasuke jolted.

_Fuck. I slept._ He flexed and stretched.

Day 8:

He looked up. A huge sign was placed in front of the forest.

**DO YOU WANNA SEE SATAN? THEN GO AND ENTER THE FOREST OF HELL!! You asshole! You want to die so bad!? And have a rendezvous with the DEVIL! Go and fucked up, human! DIE! DIE!**

Sasuke snorted. That's one hell of a way to ward off people. He ignored the sign and entered the forest. And walked…walked…until he noticed it. It's so hot…so hot…he felt his skin contracted…

A trickle of hot beady sweat rolled down to his jaw.

**19**

Sasuke was amazed. For the first time, he was_ really_ amazed. And who fucking cares if he sounded sarcastic? He was amazed, believe it, because the fucking forest was on fire.

_Damn it! _

Damn that woman for tricking him. But—

He blinked. It…wasn't really…burning.

But the trees were all leaf-less.

Yes, that's it. The trees were leaf-_less_. No wonder people thought the forest was burning. Because of the bald trees, one could feel the searing heat of sunlight; the direct rays will certainly give sunburn and people will die in dehydration here. Also, everything was blindingly bright and orange.

Kind of reminds him of idiot Naruto. Him and his 'kill-me-I'm-here' fashion sense.

Now where the hell was the weapon?

For several hours he walked. _Damn. It feels like I'm walking across the desert except that there are trees…_ Suddenly, he came to a sudden halt.

"Aw shit… what the fuck is this?"

A volcano.

A volcano.

A volcano.

A WHAT?

Volcano inside a forest?

_Fuckshit. Am I seeing things? Am I going to die? Is this Hell already?_

The volcano was dormant but…_damn it_…his vision was blurring.

_What's wrong?_

Then he began to see a waterfall.

A waterfall.

A waterfall.

He rubbed his eyes. _Waterfall._

Blink.

No, a volcano.

Blink.

It's a waterfall.

Blink.

A volcano, he's sure.

Blink.

No, it's a waterfall, are you blind?

Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink.

DAMN IT!

In anger and frustration, he activated his Sharingan.

_To hell with this!_

"SHARINGAN!"

Red eyes, black commas swirled.

He was inside a steel-walled circular dome-shaped room. And there was clapping. He whirled around and saw—

"Orochimaru…"

"It's you…it's you, Sasuke-kun."

_What?_

"You are the key to lift the jutsu. You are the key to awaken the weapon."

Awaken the weapon? Was it something to awaken?

A digitalized female voice rang all through out the room.

'ACCESS DENIED'

"ALL EXITS AND ENTRANCES ARE SEALED'

'WELCOME'

'UCHIHA SASUKE'


	4. I'm home

_Tadaima!_

**20**

_This…is YOUR CHILD?_

_Okaasan—_

_Kenji, you fathered a DEMON!_

Stiffened.

_Okaasan— _he looked down to the tiny child. _Hime-chan, don't listen to her._ He took her small hand and turned towards the giant doors.

_Kenji-kun…_

He stopped but didn't look back. _Don't talk to me, Umi-san. This child is my flesh and blood! And she's not a demon!_ He yelled at his seething, wide-eyed mother.

_GO TO HELL WITH YOUR DAUGHTER!_

Wide eyes. _Okaasan…_

_GO TO HELL! Go to hell where you…and that bastard and that whore belong!_

Fa…father…

_Don't listen! _He said sharply. _Cover your ears!_

_She's going to kill us all, Kenji! That child… is destined to burn this world!_

The child trembled at the woman's hostility.

_A demon has no place in this world! Our clan…is ruined!_

Father…father…

_GO TO HELL!_ She snarled at the frightened child.

Angry, he jerked his child and dragged her towards the door.

_Our clan is ruined from the beginning._

The old woman seethed.

_Our clan… deserved to be burned! And someday… It will be her— my child— that will put an end to everything. She will become the object that will destroy all of us… at the same time, the person who will create the world out of the ashes._

…

_The sin of our clan… She will shoulder it. And I hope I'll live long enough to help her._

With his last words, he completely turned away.

_Kenji-kun! _A black long-haired woman with straight bangs and dark almond-shaped eyes called out, reaching out a hand to touch his arm. But the man jerked his arm away.

_Don't touch me._

_Where are you going?_

_To Hell, where else?_

_Kenji-kun…_

_RIGHT! Fathering a demon in a guise of a cute child! True, that child has an innocent face but what dwells from within is a horrifying demon!_

**DEMON! **

The small child was aghast.

**DEMON!**

**DEMON! **

_Don't call her like that! _Father shouted.

I am a_…_

I hate myself.

_KILL HIM!_

The child's eyes widened in fear.

_KILL HIM! KILL THAT BASTARD!_

Father…!

_And that bitch! Kill the little bitch! I won't allow that _object _to live just to destroy everything. Our clan…will continue to rise above the ranks._

_Kenji-kun…RUN!_

_UMI…!_

_KENJI-KUN!_

They're gonna kill my father…

Hurt Father…

Kill Father…

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!_

SPLASH. Lots of blood.

_UMIIIIIIIII…!_

_Umi…san…_

BLOOD. LOTS OF BLOOD.

_Umi…san…_

BLOOD. LOTS OF BLOOD.

_Don't look!_ He screamed in horror. _**DON'T LOOK!**_

But I can't. They killed her. They KILLED HER. And the blood… so much blood. I felt a chill running down my spine. It was a delicious tingle.

_KILL HIM! KILL THE LITTLE BITCH! She's not human! A product of man's insanity...the insane quest for immortality and power! They used our family...and produce a DOLL to hunt us down!_

They killed Umi-obaasan. The only person who ever smiled at me. Except from Father. Her body…in many pieces.

Why? Why? Why? For the sake of… Father. For me.

My father was screaming at me: _CLOSE YOUR EYES! CLOSE YOUR EYES—_

And I was scared.

I was so, so, so, so scared.

They _will_ kill my father next.

They _will_ hurt him.

They will… _kill_… my… father.

…

…

…

…

_**I WON'T LET THEM!**_

A loud explosion. Large, white-hot fire burst from the child's tiny feet. They curled and slithered across the floor and grew several feet, touching the ceiling. Everywhere were people's screams. Flames danced and multiplied. Fire burst and spread.

((KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…))

_STOP! DON'T! _I can hear my father screamed. But the house went off with a huge explosion. The west wing crumbled, engulfed in fire. Wood, bricks and marbles fell in large chunks. The front yard exploded with loud whirring sound.

They will… _kill_… my… father.

They will… _kill_… my… father.

They will… _kill_… my… father.

Eventually, more and more flames appeared until they rose higher and higher…

((KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…))

And swallowed the whole house.

In other words.

I killed my own clan.

In simpler words.

I burned them.

**21**

"Sasuke-kun…" Orochimaru smiled at him. No, he barred his yellow teeth. Sasuke grimaced in disgust.

"Orochimaru."

"Surprised?" Orochimaru asked, amused.

Sasuke lowered his lids. "Why are you here?" Kabuto stepped out from Orochimaru's shadow.

"Why?" Orochimaru laughed cruelly. "Of course, for the weapon! The weapon is mine."

The dark-haired boy lifted an eyebrow. "Yours? The Hei ko Shi Hen Kei product is not yours. It is Konoha's."

The man's yellow eyes seemed to contract. "Konoha's?" he laughed again. "It IS mine!" he roared. "Now that you had served your purpose, I must eliminate you."

A minute look of surprise. Sasuke looked at him sharply. "What is my purpose?"

Orochimaru smiled at him sinisterly. "Did you ever wonder why they sent you alone?"

"…"

Seeing Sasuke's blank look, he smiled in triumph. His eyes roved the place. "Yondaime Hokage…" he started, "created this laboratory."

"…!" Sasuke was stunned and looked around. The room was steel-walled with high ceiling and TV and computer screens were attached all over the walls form the ceiling to the bottom. Thick, corded and small wires alike curled covered the walls. Several zigzagged the ground, mostly attached to the computer sets surrounding the center. The screens showed the three of them in different angles.

"He put this place under heavy and powerful Genjutsu that only a Sharingan can see through. He made you and your Sharingan the keys on lifting the illusion." He gave another of his crooked smiles. "Now after a decade, the Genjutsu is lifted and it's thanks to you."

_The Yondaime…Hokage made me the key to lift the Twilight Forest illusion he put on this laboratory._ Discreetly, his eyes traveled around the room. At the middle of the room was a large water tank with greenish water inside it. Surrounding the tank were large apparatuses, a computer set and pillar that supported the tank. Wires as thick 15 water hoses combined circulated the tank, and several were attached to the bottom of the tank, and the largest cable wire was attached to the top of the tank. He could not see what was inside the tank. The water was thick and green-blue.

Again, a female digitalized voice resounded across the room.

'BLOOD PRESSURE 60, 65, 70, 72… NORMAL. CHECK THE HEARTBEAT COUNT'

'CHECKED'

'PROJECT PARALLELOGRAM'

'SYSTEM ACTIVATED'

"I apologize, Sasuke-kun. You see, I wanted you but now…" Orochimaru shook his head. The boy clenched his jaw in disgust. "…I don't think you'll be nice to me. And I have set my eyes to the higher prize."

_Why me? Why?_ Sasuke dropped to his fighting stance as Kabuto launched himself forward.

'CHECK FOR REPIRATORY RATE…3, 2, 1…

NORMAL.'

Kabuto's speed increased in an alarming level. His attack became harder…while Orochimaru bid his time, walking up to the pillar. Sasuke saw him smile, looking up at the large glass tank, a grin began to spread in his yellowish face.

'STABILIZE…

BREATHING…'

'CHECK SYSTEM…1, 2, 3…'

_Bastard!_ Sasuke cursed and evaded the attack—

…

…

…

…_can you hear me?_

"…!!"

Sasuke was caught off-guard, hearing a voice whisper inside his head. Distracted, he tripped.

"_I have to leave Konoha for the sake of the person I love…"_

"Damn it!" he cursed, gritting his teeth as the voice grew louder.

"_All the things have souls and hearts. Don't you know? Your puppy loves you."_

"Damn it all…!" He lifted his gaze heavy with red haze. Orochimaru was…Orochimaru was…pressing keys to lift the glass that covers the tank…

The Weapon…the Hei Ko shi hen kei Product…

"Don't…" he croaked, gritting his teeth. He remembered…this feeling…the cold fingers touching his…forehead…

"No…don't…"

Taking…away…taking…away…

Flying away…flying away…

"Don't…take…-"

**22**

Eleven years ago.

_Sasuke-kun…_

_Sasuke-kun…_

He jolted awake, his forehead cold.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Okaasan." The boy said flatly, his eyes blank and cold. His mother glanced to the Third Hokage standing next to her.

The old man waved his hand. "Don't worry. He's okay."

His father was frowning. "What did you just did to my son?"

The old Third Hokage looked intently at the boy.

"I erased his memories of that girl."

**23**

"_I WILL PROTECT YOU."_

He snapped his eyes open. Just in time to evade Kabuto's attack. He growled, whipped his kunai up and sank the blade into Kabuto's left leg.

"Shithead…"

He growled and got up. He rushed to Orochimaru and— **_Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!_**** He thought** angrily but too late, the glass tank broke into shards, the green-blue liquid rushed out leaving the weapon unprotected from Orochimaru's vile grasp.

Water rushed out in waves. Sasuke avoided being splashed by torrential wave of the liquid. The weapon was unprotected. He frowned. What does it look like? A large sword? Must be. A large bazooka? Maybe. A weapon greater than his fire jutsu? And Mangekyou Sharingan? Tsukiyomi? Ameterasu?

Must be.

He watched as the liquid flowed out to reveal the weapon but suddenly, everything went orange-red.

The weapon burst into flame, a very large and angry flame.

**24**

Looked like that the weapon does not like to be disturbed. It burst into flame and everything caught fire. The walls suddenly lit up and the screen exploded with loud bang. Tall fire trenches slithered across the room, burning everything in its path. Flames casted long large shadows in the walls as it flicked and danced.

Sasuke was gaping. _What's happening?_

The long tongue of flame whipped around the laboratory, Sasuke ducked to avoid being toasted. Glass breaking, debris falling apart.

'BREATHING STABILIZES'

"HEARTBEAT:

NORMAL'

'BLOOD PRESSURE:

NORMAL'

A larger mushroom-shaped fire burst apart. Orochimaru roared. "THE WEAPON AWAKENS!"

'THE HEI KO SHI HEN KEI…'

Sasuke was thrown backward as the force of the flame drove him back. _It's so fucking hot!_ Sweat dripped all over his face and body…_so hot…so hot…so hot— _More glasses broke. Evading a particularly large ball of fire, Sasuke hit a large glass plane which broke into pieces under his weight. "Oh shit…that fucking hurts…" he groaned, lying there with glass shards piercing his skin.

'…HEI KO SHI HEN KEI…'

Broken glass rained down to him. "Damn it!" He raged. Sharingan whirled angrily.

"_Wake up already!"_

'3…2…1…'

'UCHIHA SASUKE-SAMA:

WELCOME…'

Sasuke blinked. _What—_

"Hi!"

A feminine voice. Cute and musical.

"Hey, mister, are you alright?"

That voice again.

'PROJECT SAKURA COMMENCES'

_Sakura—_

He averted his eyes quickly. Now that name…sounds so… He looked around. A shadow stood in front of him against the shades of red and orange, smoke and broken screens. It was slim and sexy.

And…oh _god_.

Naked.

"Hi!"

A naked girl with pink hair and golden green eyes stood in front of him, smiling at him.

'_I'm home…!'_

A soft whisper in his ear…

_Welcome home._

'PROJECT SAKURA'

…3…2…1—

'MEET UCHIHA SASUKE'

Pause. In a warped digitalized voice—

'YOUR MASTER'

'Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!'


	5. Far away you await me in your Heaven

**R**

**A**

**G **

**D**

**O**

**L**

**L **

**S**

**A**

**K**

**U**

**R**

**A**

_Tooi, tooi shinkirou na Heaven_

**25**

He blushed, as much as an Uchiha can. _WHAT THE—!_ He immediately turned his back to her. "Put…on some CLOTHES!" he half-yelled, a hand on his flushed face.

The girl watching his back blinked confusingly. "Eh?"

"PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!" he snarled.

"Oh." the girl looked down to herself. "I'm naked."

"PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!" Panic rising, he turned around to face her but soon regretted it with a wince. The girl was standing VERY close to him now. So close that he can see the golden flecks in her green eyes, smell her scent which was a mixture of wine and cherry blossom petals, and of course, notice her nudity even more.

That's a sexy dynamite body.

Making a fast assessment, Sasuke took notice of her luscious attributes. She was well-figured with long arms, slim neck and firm-looking erect breasts. His gaze lingered there the longest, noting their abundant size. For a small-boned girl like her, her breast size was a major turn-on. Her waist was tiny, her stomach flat but her hips curved curvaceously. Her legs were long despite her shortness.

Curiously, the girl stepped forward, her breasts moved at her action.

"_Fuck_— damn it!" Blushing, the dark-haired boy whirled around. Angrily, he ripped his upper shirt upwards and tossed it over to her. "Wear it."

"Oh, thank you… you are so _sweet_—"

"Shut up and wear it!" he hissed, running a hand through his dark silken hair. He sighed deeply to calm his raging panic. Shit, he never was a panic-stricken human. In fact, he was horrified. Embarrassingly horrified. Truth be told, he had seen naked women before, but this is different. She was naked in front of _him_. Before his very eyes. And the circumstances were different. A psycho pedophile was in the background with the same psycho homo medic. And worst, he was red in the face and it incredibly felt hot and Sasuke was sure, it wasn't just because of the heat.

"Shit."

"But…I don't know how to—"

"DO I HAVE TO DRESS YOU UP?"

"Well…okay…so this large hole…for my head, right…? OKAY!" She smiled at his back and picked up the shirt. Her golden green eyes turned into a scanner like mode. "Got it, sir!" she wore it over her head then looked down. The shirt was black and was VERY large. It reached the half of her thighs and the sleeves were past her elbows. The collar was wide and showed her bare shoulder and her delicate collar bones.

"Are you now decent?"

"Hai!" She replied and Sasuke sighed; he spun around. His shirt on her was big and it looked pathetic. It hung from her one shoulder, showing off her other bare shoulder and collar bones. Still hormonal stimulating but at least it covered her breasts. His breathed hitched. _What the FUCKING HELL_— His eyes widened in shock as he realized: she jumped on him.

"GET AWAY F-FROM ME! WHAT ARE—"his horror intensified. The girl rubbed her cheek against his cheek, sniffed him and sighed heavenly.

"You're…so…"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted, struggling under her arms around his neck. She was practically hanging on him, her feet off the ground.

"But…you are my…"

"GET OFF ME!"

A manic angry cry filled the room. The two looked at Orochimaru who was howling with great madness. "The weapon…where is the weapon?" he screamed, looking sick. The glass tank was empty. Sasuke immediately pushed the girl away from him.

"Orochimaru-sama…" Kabuto called.

"WHERE IS THE WEAPON?" He turned his angry insane eyes on them. Sasuke instinctively stood in front of her to shield the little succulent stranger.

"YOU! You fucking whore! Where is the weapon?"

"I…I don't know...what you're talking about." The girl answered timidly, her eyes widening as she hid behind Sasuke's large body.

"LYING BITCH! The Hei ko shi hen kei product! The weapon! GIVE ME THE WEAPON!"

'HEI KO SHI HEN KEI PRODUCT NOW RELEASED'

"Huh?" the four of them looked at the largest screen that was melting down.

'SELF-DESTRUCT SYSTEM: ACTIVATED. START COUNTING: 1, 2, 3…IN SIXTY SECONDS…HEI KO SHI HEN KEI WILL SELF-DESTRUCT'

The screen flashed large digital red numbers.

"We have to go!" Sasuke grabbed the girl's wrist.

"Hai!"

"We have to escape now, Orochimaru-sama! The place is burning!" Sasuke heard Kabuto say.

"NO! THE WEAPON!"

The laboratory was burning like hell. TV screens fell from their places as fire reached the ceiling. The laboratory itself was crumbling. Sasuke and the girl were running, trying not to step on glass shards. Sasuke halted, still gripping the girl's wrist, head whipping around to find the exit.

"You know where the exit is?"

The girl stared at him but shook her head. "I don't know."

"How come you didn't know? Where did you come from? And why were you _naked_?" he demanded.

"I don't know! The last thing I remember is that…is that…" there were flashes inside her mind, voices but they were blurry. "I…I don't remember…anything." Her voice was thin with uncertainty.

Sasuke glared, looking suspicious. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!"

The Uchiha scowled and scoffed. "Unbelievable."

"Why can't you believe me? I don't know who I am!"

"Not even your name? You don't remember your name?"

"Why ask me now! Can't you see we're in hell?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and looked down to his arm. Blisters started to appear in his skin. He looked at her. She was panting and wet with sweat. Her large golden green eyes blazed and in them, he saw a flicker of fire. He also noticed that his shirt had started to cling to her skin, outlining the contour of her body.

"Let's go." His grip on her wrist tightened then slid down to her small hand. For a moment, she stared at their hands. Then looked up to his determined face and nodded.

'17…18…19…20…'

"We need to hurry…" she whispered, now clinging to his arm, panting heavily after their search. Sasuke looked down at her. Her pink hair was sodden and began to stick on the sides of her face. She pressed her face against his biceps, closing her eyes with her long lashes pressed against her cheeks. "I can't breathe…"

"Damn it…" he cursed. He touched the steaming white hot steel wall. Damn. He bet it's a meter thick.

"Hey…"

"What? You see I'm concentrating…" he hissed.

"I think I can…melt it down…" she whispered, her breath hot and damp against his skin. He fought the urge to shiver.

"What do you mean 'melt it down'?" Sasuke asked instead.

She smiled at him. "I…I don't know. I just feel I can."

"Feel you can? That's suspicious. Let me handle this. You're just a naked girl."

"Let me try! I don't know but…I think…I can melt it down! I don't know! But…watching you …I felt strange…"

He rolled his eyes and tugged his arm with a scowl. "Please don't tell me you're falling in love with me. I have had enough of rabid fan girls back at home so please don't turn into one." He dragged out heavily.

"How conceited! I AM NOT! Get out of my way!" She pushed him aside.

"HEY!"

"Hey too!"

"What the hell are you—…" he watched in amazement as he watched flames danced in her fingertips. Eventually, the flames turned into a ball of fire floating in her palm. "You are…pyrokinetic?"

"A what? I don't know what I am…but I think…" she closes her eyes, the ball of fire enlarges. "…I'm the reason why this place is burning up…"

'26…27…28…29….'

"Don't flatter yourself." He said flatly.

"Why do you hate me!" She exclaimed. "What have I done to you?"

"Shut up. Just do it…you know, the melting down part."

"You're so bitter." She said, wincing and threw the fireball against the wall. The fire melted the wall, creating a hole enough for two persons to crawl out. "See? Are you impressed yet?"

"I said, don't flatter yourself." He snapped. "Go on, crawl first."

"Are you sure?"

"Go.'

"Okay."

'39…40…41…42…43…'

"Hurry up, will you?" At the instant the girl was safely out, Sasuke crawled quickly and was grateful he was outside that hellish place. He stood up, dusted his pants and grabbed the girl's hand, dragging her forward. Eventually, they jogged.

"Hey…hey…can't you slow down?"

"Do you wanna live longer?"

"Yeah…"

"Then, don't complain. I'm saving your ass right here." _a pretty ass, I guess._

'50…51…52…53...54…'

"55…56…57…"

"What are you counting off for?" He asked, frowning, looking back at her but he was shocked to find that her eyes were not green anymore. The gold in her eyes completely dominated her pupils. Even her sclera turned gold.

"58…59…"

Sasuke shook her. "HEY!"

He watched her red lips open and whisper.

"60."

A large explosion took place.

He grabbed her close to him as the power of the explosion racked the forest floors. He pressed her down, holding her tight and close. His hairs stood up in the end. The explosion created a mushroom shape smoke in the sky. He lifted her to her feet and looked up. Nothing but debris was left off from once high-technology laboratory.

Uchiha looked down to her and found the girl staring wide-eyed at the remnants of the explosion. Slowly, her gaze slid up to him. "Let's go." He tugged at her hand, slightly startled now that her eyes turned back to their normal color. Golden emerald eyes.

**26**

"What's wrong?" he asked. They were walking through the forest.

"Nothing." She answered.

Grunt. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"…you're annoying."

"I'm not!"

"Well, what are you thinking about?"

"Why are you curious?"

He shrugged. "You're interesting. A naked girl appearing in a burning place. Not only that…" he regarded her with a suspicious stare. "You can create fires."

"I don't know why I can do it…but I tell you…when I looked at you…I felt very strange."

He smirked. "Save it. Don't want to hear."

"Then don't!" she snapped and pulled her hand free from his grasp. Sasuke's brows shot up, confused to discover that he had been holding hands with her for hours. She walked in front of him, stomping more like.

Smirking, he watched her walk. No, he watched her legs.

DAMN IT.

…and she tripped. The smirk disappeared on his face.

_Bullshit_. He hissed, pressing a hand between his eyes.

The end of the shirt flew up, causing him to take a free of charge view of her backside. _Fuck. _He cursed, opened his eyes slightly and decided: she sure has a pretty ass.

**27**

Tsuande was reading the manuscript entitled: THE UCHIHA-HARUNO TIES 197th edition. The last and the only surviving manuscript from the Leaf Village Archives and actually was very disturbing and controversial.

It said that the Haruno Family and the Uchiha Clan had VERY special ties. Disturbing and controversial.

She was reading the climax when Shizune comes in. "Hokage-sama, there's parcel for you." She put plastic bag on her desk with a large print of _TO THE HOKAGE_. Tsunade was frowning.

"For me? That's nice." She opened it and pulled out the thing inside. She frowned. It was thick and papery.

She ripped the plastic off. The parcel was a journal. A very old-looking journal… She opened it. Her eyes widened.

"Shizune…please leave me for a while…"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Shizune exited.

Tsunade read the title page aloud.

"THE PROJECT HEI KO SHI HEN KEI: the Uchiha lies, Hyuuga secrets and Haruno truth."

She turned to the other page. A line caught her eye. "…the truth? The Project was stopped but it continued under the name…Project Sakura. It yielded a product…a product produced by man's insane pursuit of immortality and power. This product is HIDEOUS! It's a demon's gift to Leaf…but still the three prominent families continued…and the product was a—"

"A WHAT?"

**28**

Their travel continued for two days. He decided it was better to bring the unnamed girl in Konoha. He once asked her name.

"What's your name?" he wasn't interested but he was curious.

The girl shrugged. "I don't know."

Smirk. "Cool name." He mocked.

"SHUT UP!"

"What? I was just admiring your unique name."

"You're such…a jerk!"

"And you're an idiot." He returned.

The girl flushed in anger. "I can't believe it. For someone with your looks, you're insufferable! Nothing but a rotten… cabbage!" Sasuke raised a brow blankly at her comparison. "The only outstanding trait of yours is your _looks_ which is ordinary and superficial!"

"…not only you're an idiot, you're also ungrateful."

She made a disgruntled face. "Excuse me?"

"Whatever," he walked ahead of her. "Can you walk faster?"

"Well, you see, I'm walking barefoot! It hurts walking barefoot especially if it's a rocky road!"

Sasuke snorted and continued, leaving her behind. The girl gritted her teeth. "Oi! Don't leave me, alright!"

"Then move faster." He shot back.

"Are you blind? I don't have shoes!"

"Are _you_ blind? You have feet."

The girl gawked at his arrogance and rudeness. What a heartless bastard. "…I can't believe humans like you exist!"

He sighed. "…no need to step on my humanity, miss." He's tired and the only thing that matter to him now was to arrive in his house, go to bed and sleep. He was frustrated with the way things turned out which justified his foul temper. He failed his s-class mission and he was sure Naruto will tease him as if there's no tomorrow. "Kuso." He hissed under his breath, turning around to face her. She was mumbling under her breath, watching her feet.

Frowning, Sasuke walked up to her. She looked up and he noticed finally that she was so small, barely reaching his chin and so slim. His hands could easily span the girth of her waist and her stature was delicate as though a slight grip will fracture her.

"What?" she asked.

An aggravated sigh. He lowered his lids. "I'll carry you."

Her face lit up. She smiled brightly at him. "REALLY? Are you sure?" she asked excitedly. Her feet were aching as well as her legs.

_Mood swing? _"Yes. You're such a slowpoke." Despite the mild insult, she smiled widely at him. He turned around. "A piggy back ride."

"Must be exciting, ne?"

"Very exciting." He countered dryly. She giggled; her arms went around his neck, he put his palms under her legs and lifted. She was light as a feather. Does this girl eat at all? Her weight was unnatural and unhealthy. She was almost half of his weight. And as she leaned forward to him, he became a thousand fold aware of her ample breasts pressed against his back. His eyes strayed down to her smooth legs up to her exposed thighs.

"Shit." Sasuke suddenly cursed, closing his eyes briefly.

"What? Am I heavy?" she whispered in his ears.

"Shut up." He rasped.

Oh boy. He wanted to go home.

Fast.

**29**

"Hey…" she whimpered softly in his ear. Sasuke felt his fine hairs stood up in horror.

"DO NOT whisper in my ear." He growled.

"What? You're so cranky…what's wrong with you?" she sounded indignant. Her arms were slack around his shoulders.

"Why won't you shut up?" he countered flatly.

"Because I want to talk…come on, tell me your name."

"No way." Sasuke replied, adjusting her weight.

"Nice name!"

He growled. "Don't mock me."

She rolled her eyes. "…tell me something about yourself."

"There's nothing to tell."

"For starters, what's your name?" she asked. He grunted. "Come on!" he didn't reply. She groaned. "You're so enigmatic." Sasuke rolled his eyes at her adjective.

"Okay. Should I say something about myself…hm…mister enigma?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"OKAY! Um…I don't remember who I am. But I'm sure…I'm not human."

Sasuke raised a brow, unimpressed. "Really…"

"I am not human." She repeated.

He was silent for a second. "Shut up. You're a lousy liar. Go to sleep."

"You do not believe me?"

"Your story has too many loopholes. If you're not human, why do you smile?"

The girl's eyes widened.

"_Why do you smile?"_

"…I don't know…"

"Go to sleep."

"BUT I'M TELLING YOU THE TRUTH!" she insisted.

"You're annoying."

"BUT—"

"If you don't shut up, I'll drop you."

She opened her mouth to counter him but instead she leaned forward, hugged his shoulders and pressed her face against his shoulder. "I wish I knew my name." she whispered.

"…"

"A name you can remember."

Sasuke lowered his lashes, gripped the underside of her thighs tighter and looked up to the sky. "Go to sleep. Maybe in your dreams, you will remember."


	6. I want to feel this unfading passion

(visual)

_the Project Sakura sits upon a decapitated marble angel with Baroque three wings. Her pink hair is aflame and ripples in the air. The right side of her body is in flames; she lifts a hand with a fireball swirling above her palm. A blank expression, a cold chilling gaze, the opposite of her burning power. _

**R**

**A**

**G **

**D**

**O**

**L**

**L **

**S**

**A**

**K**

**U**

**R**

**A**

-

-

Konoha. The Land of Fire.

I am _the_ Fire.

…

…

_Iroasenai atsui omoi_

**30**

At nine o'clock in the morning, their fourth day, Uchiha Sasuke and the girl arrived in Konoha. She was still on his back, her arms hanging around his shoulders, her legs whiter under the sunlight. They were such a spectacle: a brooding handsome boy and a very pretty girl with strange hair color. What caught everybody's attention was the fact that a _girl_ was hanging on Uchiha's back. The boy was known to be heartless where woman were concerned. He was rumored to be asexual, if not gay. The sight of a small girl on his back rather caused a stir among the villagers. Surely, their heartless pretty boy was not so heartless after all. Or not so gay after all.

Uchiha noticed the lavish attention from the villagers. Curiosity was obvious, as well as their shock and confusion. He shook his head. These people are gullible, he thought. They believed rumors easily. Especially when the rumor was about his sexuality. He was aware that people thought him to be asexual, worse, gay. He didn't deny nor confirm, but Naruto's bruise and badly-singed hair were enough to warn people not to mess up with his sexuality.

He took another discreet look around him as he walked his way to the Hokage Tower, the girl on his back. Several were openly staring, curious as to why he was carrying something with a pink head. However, most of them had their eyes on her exposed legs.

They reached the Hokage's Office. Many Jounins stared at them; some gave him questioning gazes, some shocked, some grinning maliciously.

"Ice-bitch sure has great taste when it comes to women!"

"Nice legs!"

"No wonder you're such a bloke of ice! There is someone waiting for you!"

Sasuke gave them a dark glare. _Fuck off, fuckheads!_ His colleagues laughed and leave them be. He felt the girl turned her head on his shoulder to peer at his face.

"Ice-bitch…cool name!" She said candidly. Sasuke's glare turned into a scowl. "So… that's your name, Ice-bitch. Strange, is that your first name? Odd…" she shrugged.

"Shut up." He pushed the door with his foot, a lopsided sign: GO TO HELL! THIS IS THE HOKAGE TALKING! DEAL WITH IT swung slightly from the nail as he stepped inside.

Inside, council men and women gathered. They were curious with Uchiha's news of Hei ko shi hen kei product. Tsunade stood beside a window, Jiraiya next to her and next to the man are Kakashi, Naruto and Hinata.

Upon seeing his best friend and best rival Sasuke, the blonde boy grinned widely, spreading his arms wide like ready to hug him "WELCOME HOME SASUKE-BASTARD!" he shouted. "I SEE YOU'RE HOME AND YOUR BODY STILL COMPLETE, HUH?"

A vein began twitching on Sasuke's temple.

Tremble. Tremble.

"Dobe." He said through clenched teeth. Bending his knees, he let the girl slid off his back, her fingers brushed against his shoulders. He lowered his lids, watching his fingers grazed the smooth skin of her thighs from the corner of his eyes.

"WOW! So many people, huh! COOL!" She exclaimed happily. Naruto, Kakashi, Jiraiya, Hinata, Tsunade, Shizune, Anko and the rest of the Jounin inside ogled at the person standing next to their one of the best Jounin/ANBU Commanders. A girl wearing Sasuke's shirt. With nice legs.

Smiling, she waved at the people inside the room. "Hello!"

**31**

"What's the meaning of this?" Anko thundered, three veins pounding on her head.

Sasuke looked unaffected. The girl smiled even more.

"UCHIHA SASUKE!" She roared. The girl jumped in surprise and at the same time, voices and flashes of memories appeared before her eyes.

"U…" she gasped, pressing her palm against her head, sweat rolling on the sides of her face. She placed a hand in her chest. Her eyes widened. No…heartbeat…? "I…I…"

"THE HOKAGE ORDERED YOU TO BRING THE HEIKO SHI HEN KEI WEAPON! NOT A BLOODY WOMAN!"

…'_sleep tight…'_

…'_sleep tight…'_

"…_U…c…"_

"WHERE IS THE WEAPON?"

"The weapon wasn't there." Sasuke answered flatly, yawning in front of Anko's reddening face. Anko trembled with anger. More tremble.

"DON'T YOU DARE MAKE THAT YAWNING FACE IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN!"

…'_someday, you'll find him…'_

Tsunade remained quiet, staring at the girl wearing Sasuke's shirt. Sasuke shot her a glance. He frowned when he noticed the look in Tsunade's face then transferred his gaze back to Anko. "I met Orochimaru there. He was also looking for the weapon. But when he broke the container, he found nothing. The Weapon does not exist."

…'_and when you do…serve him…'_

A council man frowned at him then at Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, what's the meaning of this?"

"I failed my mission." Sasuke said quietly.

…'_serve…him…find him…and protect him…'_

"Sasuke—"Tsunade called.

"The Weapon wasn't there, Hokage-sama." Sasuke replied flatly. Tsunade sighed and run her fingers through her blonde hair.

…'_find…Uchiha Sasuke-kun…'_

The girl gasped. At last, she remembered something!

…'_you will find each other…'_

…'_and protect each other…'_

…'_but you are his…so your obligation is to…'_

"Protect Uchiha Sasuke-kun…" She whispered, her eyes turning gold as red three revolving circles appeared in her eyes.

Sasuke frowned heavily. _What the hell_— is this girl for real? And most of all, she knows his name and what did she say? Protect _him_? The person who had his name on every bingo book from Mars to Moon? The person whose reputation rivaled the Sannin, Akatsuki and… Naruto's Kyuubi.

…'_protect Uchiha Sasuke-kun...'_

A voice echoed in her mind. The voice of Machine Rhea Silvia, the core of Rhea Silvia Supercomputer system:

'_MEET UCHIHA SASUKE'_

'_YOUR MASTER'_

"Master…" she whispered, her eyes glazed over, turning back to their green orbs.

…'_so find…him and he'll find you…FIND UCHIHA SASUKE!"_

…'_find him… FIND—'_

"UCHIHA SASUKE!" she exclaimed suddenly. "I WILL FIND UCHIHA SASUKE!" the girl turned viciously to the door to dash outside but Sasuke grabbed her wrist. She gasped and faced him. When she saw his face, she was distracted. That face… she didn't understand why but every time she saw his face, she felt very strange. Like she's looking for that face for a long time. Like she was waiting for _him_ for a long time.

"What… do you want?" she asked softly.

"What do you want from him?" His voice was dangerously calm and very low. And she didn't like the look in his eyes.

"From…Uchiha Sasuke?" She asked.

Dark brows scrunched darkly. "Yes."

"I…" she gulped. His expression and his voice were scaring her. Her palms began to get clammy. Bravely, she raised her chin. "That's…" she remembered his rudeness. And she snorted to disguise her discomfort. "…none of your business!" she snapped and pulled her wrist but Sasuke pulled her towards him. "L-let go!"

"What do you want from him?" he repeated, his tone harder and rougher.

"I… let go…" she whimpered.

His fingers closed in tighter. His grip easily covered the girth of her thin wrist. "Answer the question." Sasuke fought the urge to wince as he felt her bones moved under his grip. _Pathetic._ He thought, referring to her frailty.

The girl looked up to him, angry and…_was it fear I see?_ Before snapping, "I DON'T KNOW!"

Sasuke looked incredulous. "You don't know? Are you crazy?"

Blood rushed to her face, in mixed anger and mortification. "Just let go… Look, there's something I remember! And that's…what I remember…the name Uchiha Sasuke! I remember someone telling me find Uchiha Sasuke-kun because…" she looked away.

"Because what?"

The girl turned her face to him, her eyes blazing. "What is it to you?"

"ANSWER ME." Sasuke pulled her closer, so close that their noses touched. Scared and confused at his actions, she put a hand on his pectoral and pushed him away. However, he didn't budge, glaring down at her.

"Because…" She blinked and looked straight in his eyes. "I will protect him!"

**32**

Sasuke released her wrist in shock.

"What the hell are you talking about…?" the boy hissed, breathing heavily.

The girl frowned, "why do you look like that?" she asked, rubbing her sore wrist.

Uchiha snorted. "I don't need it."

"What?"

"I don't need it!" He snapped angrily. He raked his fingers through his silken hair.

"Need what?"

Sasuke regarded her under his thick lashes. "Who ARE you?" He asked instead, his eyes narrowed. "WHO ARE YOU?" he saw her eyes went large at his question. She opened her mouth to reply but she can't form her words coherently, her breathing suddenly racing.

whoareyou?whoareyou?whoareyou?whoareyou?whoareyou?whoareyou?whoareyou?whoareYOU?

_WHO AM I?_

"I…I—" she stammered, averting her eyes, suddenly scared-looking. "I… told you! I don't remember!"

Sasuke scoffed. "You remember someone else's name but not yours?"

"I DON'T KNOW WHY! Why are you terrorizing me like this?" she yelled.

He scoffed. "Damn you."

The girl gasped. "What have I done to you?" she whispered. "Why do you suddenly… hate me!?"

"I don't hate you." he paused. "You're annoying." Sasuke smirked slightly as she bristled.

"I'm _not_ annoying. You _are._"

"Shut up. For someone of weak stature and abnormal hair color, who would need your protection?" he snarled with dark brows arched upward in an expression of mockery.

Her face darkened. "Don't challenge me, _boy._"

Sasuke raised a brow. _A sudden change in voice._ "Then don't say things you don't even aware of. Do you know this person?"

She averted her gaze. "I will find…him." Green eyes met onyx. "Even if I have to search the whole world, I will and I'll find him."

"Why?"

"Because I… I was made to find him. And maybe… if I did, I'll be able to discover who I am and…" she looked at him sadly, "maybe, I'll be able to give you a name." She gave soft smile. "A name you can remember."

"I…" Sasuke started, frowning. E tried again but he closed his eyes tightly. _What is this? Why does it feel like this?_ "A name…" he murmured. "I'm…" He paused.

But somebody said.

"That's Uchiha Sasuke."

**33**

"WHAT?"

The person who spoke, Naruto, sighed. "He's Uchiha Sasuke."

The girl gawked. "WHAT?"

This time, Naruto frowned. "He's Uchiha Sasuke."

"WHAT?"

Kakashi and Naruto exchanged glances before saying simultaneously. "HE'S UCHIHA SASUKE!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT…!" she cried, horrified.

**34**

SILENCE—

**35**

"NO WAY!" she screamed.

**36**

"Surprise, surprise." Naruto said dryly. Hinata giggled silently.

Sasuke's nostrils flared. "What do you mean by that?"

"There is no way you are Uchiha Sasuke! According to the Machine Rhea Silvia… Uchiha Sasuke is _my_ Master!" The girl screamed. Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Ahem." The Hokage cleared her throat.

"You're crazy!" Sasuke sneered.

"Ahem."

"ME? CRAZY! How dare you!"

"AHEM."

"I don't need someone to protect me! Look at you! YOU LOOKED SO DAMN WEAK!" He snarled, crossing his arms across his chest.

"AHEM!"

"Me… weak?" she breathed shakily. "How dare you… REALLY, HOW DARE YOU! I'M NOT WEAK! _TAKE THIS_!" The girl opened her fist. A fireball the size of a coconut burst in her hand. It let out a high-pitched whistle as it engorged. Sasuke unconsciously stepped back, eyeing the fire with caution. Her face was shadowed with her thick bangs, her eyes reflecting the fire. Ninjas eyed the girl with confusion.

"It's _not_ a jutsu." Kakashi murmured. Naruto had his jaw dropped while Hinata gaped in shock.

"Put it out." Tsunade ordered. The girl glanced at her. The Hokage glared. "Extinguish it, _now._"

The girl snorted but obeyed, fisting her hand. In the process, fire disappeared with a whispy puff of smoke. She crossed her arms and look the other away.

"Sasuke, is it true you encountered Orochimaru?" the woman asked.

Sasuke nodded, glancing sharply at the girl. He smirked when he saw her stiffened.

"Sasuke, how about your mission?" Anko demanded. The boy narrowed his eyes.

"I told you. The weapon wasn't there." Sasuke answered, annoyed.

"Are you…really Uchiha Sasuke?" the girl asked in a timid voice, her eyes softening.

Sasuke sighed. "Hokage-sama, I failed my mission. I apologize. Can I go now?" he said, ignoring the girl. Somehow, out of nowhere, it was suddenly painful to look at her.

"Wait! Are YOU really _Sasuke_?"

…'_protect Uchiha Sasuke-kun...'_

"Hokage-sama?" Sasuke called out hurriedly. He didn't like what he felt, what he thought, what he was imagining. Her voice, her presence, her smell… suddenly, it was everywhere. Inside his brain. Fuck. Brain? That sounded lame.

"You didn't fail your mission." Tsunade said quietly.

"…?" Sasuke looked confused. People stared at the blonde woman with the same expression.

"But what he brought is a _woman_!" Anko countered.

Brown eyes rolled disdainfully. "No. He brought back the weapon."

"What?" A council man said frighteningly. "The Weapon is back?"

Tsunade nodded. "It is back. How many times _do_ I have to repeat it?" She looked at Sasuke. "Good job Sasuke."

Uchiha looked lost for a while. "I…I don't understand. I didn't bring anything back."

"You did."

"I did?"

"Yes." She approached him slowly. "You brought the Project Sakura back."

The girl whipped her head around, wide-eyed. "Hey! That's sound familiar…" Sasuke thought so, too.

…'_you are…named after my favorite flower…'_

…'_really?'_

…'_you are—'_

"I… I…- I remember now! I remember what my name is!" the girl exclaimed happily. She happily turned to Sasuke who looked surprised.

"I am Sakura!"

…'_you are…Project Sakura…'_

"Congratulations. Mission accomplished, Uchiha Sasuke. You brought back the Parallelogram Child: the Project Sakura." Tsunade smiled slightly.

"That's MY NAME!" The girl yelled and faced Sasuke. "I am Project Sakura at you service, Sasuke-sama!"

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up. He looked shocked, his face showing the telltale signs of shock. Well, as much as an Uchiha face can show.

"I am yours and I will protect you from all evil!" She grinned and posed, giving him a victory sign. "I found you Uchiha Sasuke!" She smiled and hugged him. "Your wish is my command, Sasuke-sama! And I will protect you even if I die!"

Sasuke can't react properly. One minute she's clawing his throat, one minute she's hugging him and… what a soft, really succulent body.

Testosterones are man's worst enemy.

Oh god. Life had just gotten worst.

_But hey, Uchiha. She has nice legs._

Shiver. Shiver. Shiver.


	7. People live, people die, people love

**R**

**A**

**G **

**D**

**O**

**L**

**L **

**S**

**A**

**K**

**U**

**R**

**A**

_hito wo aisuru koto, ikiteku koto, shinu koto_

**37**

Shock, no?

Unbelievable.

The weapon everyone was after _is_ a _girl_? Unbelievable. How did they come up with this? A weapon in a form of a human-sized doll. Can it be she's made of steel and all those plastic? But shit, she looked _too_ real and felt _too _real. And so, Uchiha decided that this project was—

"RIDICULOUS!" Naruto roared.

**38**

"Hokage-sama," Anko rubbed her head, anticipating a migraine. "I don't understand. What do you mean that Sasuke-san brought back the weapon? If he did, then where is the Weapon?"

Tsunade shook her head and sat down on her chair. "The Project Parallelogram's other name _is_ Project Sakura."

"How do you know!" Anko exclaimed.

The woman shrugged. "Read it."

"The girl—" Anko turned to Sakura.

"—is not what she appears she is." Tsunade supplied and glanced at the girl who had her arms around Sasuke's neck.

"Oh…god…" Jiraiya groaned. "Your grandfather was really insane." _SMACK!_ Tsunade whacked Jiraiya at the back of his head.

"Ughh…"

"The weapon is in an image of a life-size doll. Its attributes are unknown but the standard characteristic that defines the weapon as the Project Sakura is the ability to create and manipulate fires."

Kakashi raised his brow. Then, looked at the girl— no, he must not address that doll as a girl. Because she's not human. Well, sort of, as far as science was concerned. However, _that skin seemed so real_, he thought as his eyes dropped to her legs.

Anko was pale. "You mean…" she pointed at the girl, "_THAT_ is the WEAPON?" She said in comprehension. "The girl Sasuke brought here is the Hei Ko shi hen Kei Weapon?"

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched irritably. "How _many_ times do I have to say it, Anko?"

**39**

"THAT GIRL?" Naruto shouted. "IS THE WEAPON YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT?"

**40**

Tsunade nodded.

Naruto gaped, stared at the girl then yelled.

"ARE YOU GOING NUTS?"

Something flew in the air and hit Naruto between the eyes.

"ACKKKK!!"

**41**

"That girl is not… human?" Hinata asked, staring at the girl. "How could it be…? She looks…so…"

_Real._ Kakashi thought, watching the girl. Who would have thought that she's just an empty shell? Soulless, a puppet. A doll created by humans. _The result of humans' pursuit of God. We intend to be like God. _Kakashi lowered his eyelid.

_We made something after our image._

"Hai. Stop sounding so AMAZED." Tsunade snapped. "I know it's absurd. But right now, we don't have a choice. So we have to accept the truth." Her face darkened. "Then, look for facts later on. As you have seen earlier, the Project Sakura is capable of creating fires with the force of her mind. According to the manuscripts and the diary sent anonymously, it said that the 'Project Parallelogram is created biogenetically with a power of pyrokinesis'— ability to control the kinetic energy of atoms to generate, control or absorb fire. However, being the ultimate or the last of all the Parallelograms, 'Project Sakura is endowed with other powers, unknown and immeasurable'." She paused. "As of now, I have no idea, other than pyrokinesis, what she was capable of."

"She is… dangerous." An elderly council man murmured.

_It's an understatement. This thing… should be eliminated. But,_ Tsunade narrowed her eyes. _If we try something, who knows what she will do._

"Yes. I know." Tsunade agreed. _The best thing we can do is to put her on a leash. _"Can I see your back?"

Big eyes blinked at her. "Huh?"

"Your back. Show me your back."

She smiled and unwrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck. The boy exhaled, stepping back. "Alright." She turned her back on them; she reached back and ripped the shirt from the tip until it revealed her back and a small portion of her buttocks.

A tattoo of golden-red fiery Baroque wings spanned the whole of her back, reaching the curve of her hips and tips of her buttocks. It must have had reached up to her neck, upper shawl muscles and shoulder blades. They were not sure. (They could not see the upper part; her hair was long and uneven). Above the cleavage of her buttocks was a barcode: _PROJECT SAKURA_. The tattoo was finely detailed, strikingly realistic that every stroke reminded Sasuke of fire. _So real._ And dangerous. It looked like that the wings will break free and burn any time. Such a fine artwork. The thought of touching it was tempting, but at the same time worrisome. It seemed that the tattoo will reach out, popped up and surge around the area like a whip.

Who would put this on to a girl like her?

"Sasuke."

The boy looked up from the tattoo to Tsunade. The woman motioned something with her hand. Uchiha frowned but later understood.

"Hey," he called to the girl.

"Hai?"

Sasuke put a hand at the base of her skull and pressed.

**42**

They watched as the girl crumpled as she became unconscious. Sasuke caught her falling body in his arms and carried her in a bridal-style.

"Congratulations, Sasuke." Tsunade said calmly.

He was looking down at her face. slightly covered with her luscious pink hair. 'Sakura' fits her perfectly. A fragile-looking girl…_okay_, a fragile-looking doll _is_ the Hei Ko Shi Hen Kei Weapon? This is absurd. _But I saw her flame and she said it herself, she is not human._

A man with moustache cleared his throat. "What are we going to do with her?"

"Since she knows Sasuke and Sasuke alone, she must stay with him."

"WHAT!" Sasuke yelled in panic. Kakashi and his teammates looked at him oddly. Sasuke never yell…

"She's _not_ going to stay with me." Sasuke hissed. "Who fucking knows, she might set my house on fire."

Tsunade raised her eyebrows smugly. "Really, Sasuke? Who do you think you are? AND WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? A nobody? May I remind you— I AM THE HOKAGE OF THIS VILLAGE AND YOU WILL DO EXACTLY WHAT I TOLD YOU TO DO!"

"And who do you think I am? A baby-sitter?" Sasuke countered.

"IS SHE A BABY? BAKERO! SHE WILL STAY WITH YOU! PERIOD!" A huge vein pounded atop her eyebrow. "No more counter arguments from you, Uchiha! This is irrevocable. She will stay with you until…"

"What?" snarled Sasuke.

Tsunade smirked. "Until she decides to die."

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up. The Hokage leaned back to her chair. "Sasuke, she trusts you. And you're the one she's looking for…"

Sasuke exhaled sharply, looking away with a rigid face. Tsunade took it as a sign of compliance.

"You know who she is, Sasuke. She is a non-living thing capable of destruction and with just a flick of her fingers, she _can_ burn Konoha down. But since she likes you and claimed that YOU are her master, you can dictate her, control her. She will obey you. What you want to protect, she will protect it. What will anger you, it will anger her too. She might be a non-living thing but…" Tsunade shrugged. "I guess there's a heart behind the iron mask."

Sasuke grunted. "Should I install a thousand fire extinguishers inside the house?" he said in a flat sarcastic tone.

**42**

Sasuke brought the girl's body to his house. His teammates and teacher Kakashi accompanied him.

"Wow, Sasuke, you're so lucky! A pretty, pretty girl at your service… you're one hell of a lucky, lucky man!" Naruto exclaimed as he stared down at the girl's sleeping face lying down at Sasuke's bed.

Kakashi chuckled. "A little girl sleeping in Sasuke's bed…" he turned to his glaring student, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Ne, Sasuke-kun, don't get naughty, okay?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Tell it to yourself." He snapped, pulling a large and thick navy blue comforter from his drawer.

Hinata smiled down at her. "She's very pretty, Sasuke-kun." She frowned. "I can't believe she's just a doll. She looks so real…" her fingers touched the girl's fringe.

Uchiha grunted. "Yeah. Very real. Hinata, can you change her clothing? Here." He gave Hinata some clothes. The timid girl looked down at the clothes, evaluating the material.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, this is er— very big." She said uncertainly. It was a large cotton navy blue black shirt and baggy pajamas that will require a major tying around the waist.

He shrugged, uncaring. "It's fine. I'll take her to the store tomorrow." He motioned the other males outside while Hinata changed Sakura's clothing.

Naruto dived facefirst to Sasuke's large sofa with a whoop. Kakashi shook his head and settled himself in a couch.

"I can't believe THEY will make a dangerous destruction-driven weapon in a form of a fragile pretty girl!" Naruto exclaimed when he was on his side; an elbow propped to support his head, his sandals pressing to the immaculately clean sofa. Sasuke looked displeased at this.

"Get your stupid feet off the sofa, moron."

Naruto hummed and lifted his foot to drape it over the backrest. "I hope you won't get horny over a child's toy." He was hit with shoe in the face.

"Get out of my house." Sasuke snarled, his nostrils flaring.

Naruto ignored him and proceeded into humming and sticking a finger to his ear. "Don't get so worked up, teme!"

"I'm _not_ worked up." Sasuke growled. "And get your feet off the sofa before I chop it off."

Naruto grinned (his feet still draped over the sofa). "She's very pretty!"

"A very pretty girl indeed, her looks are destructible enough." Kakashi drawled. "And she calls Sasuke her master." The silver-haired Jounin gave Sasuke a smiling gaze. "Naruto is right. Don't get so worked up."

"Shut up. She'll cause trouble." Sasuke replied, looking tired. "Something that can burn an entire village in one blow, destroy mountains in one swipe," he narrowed his eyes at Naruto, "Just like _you_¸ dobe." He met Naruto's glare until the blonde harrumphed and looked away. "…it spells fucking trouble."

"Because Orochimaru will be after your ass," Naruto said.

"…this will also catch Akatsuki's attention." Kakashi said in a low voice.

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly. "Hn."

"Na, Sasuke-teme," Naruto looked thoughtful. The dark-haired boy opened his eyes as he offered a look of question. "Does that mean, Sakura-chan will be your personal slave?"

Sasuke twitched. The idea was… For once, the stupid's idea was not so stupid. Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "You bet, Naruto. A pretty _sexy_ girl slave for Sasuke…" He eventually chuckled, ignoring the dangerous twitch in Sasuke's vein.

Twitch. Twitch.

"…she looks so hot." Naruto grinned evilly at Sasuke.

"Shut the hell up, Naruto. You spend time with Kakashi too much, it affects your hormones." Sasuke snapped. "You're damn dirty, dobe."

"HEY! I wasn't implying you—"

"Sasuke-kun, I'm finished. I need to go home now or Neji-niisan will ravage the WHOLE village looking for me. It's already seven." Hinata appeared at the foot of the staircase.

Sasuke got off the wall. "Naruto, you walk Hinata home. Kakashi, go away." Immediately, Hinata's face became crimson.

Naruto protested. "HEY, HEY! We're not through yet!"

"Shut up and go away." He marched to the front door and pulled it open for them.

"You're so excited, Sasuke…"

The Uchiha ground his molars. "Get the hell out of my property." He said between clenched teeth.

Kakashi rolled his eye. "Yeah, yeah. Seven o'clock at the bridge."

"Get out." Sasuke grumbled. Hinata bowed to him and followed Kakashi outside. Naruto came out last.

"Bastard, don't make a pass at a DOLL!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

**43**

Sasuke was still fuming when he banged the door closed, turned around and—

"AHHHHHHH…!" he screeched.

**44**

Sakura blinked.

"What's wrong, master?"

"YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME!" he half-yelled, slightly breathless. "And don't call me MASTER!"

Sakura blinked again.

"Oh." She smiled. "I'm hungry."

Sasuke frowned. "What?" Dolls did not come out with digestive systems, did they? He looked down at her. Short, so unhealthy. Her arms sticking out of the sleeves were thin and pale. How could those arms yield a monstrous power to blow up a single village? The thought of her decimating a village was funny. He could easily fracture those arms. And break that neck, too. And those clavicles popping out of her skin? So easy to grab them out of her and break them in front of her eyes.

_I'm being sadistic._

He walked past her. "Are you crazy? You don't have a stomach, do you?"

"But I'm hungry, Master!"

Sasuke twitched. "I told you." He began, "Don't call me master." He snapped.

"But… I'm polite and respectful. I must call you master and—"

"Fine." He hissed. "Then I _order _you to not call me master. It's…" his eyes lowered to her waist. _His_ pajamas were slipping off her hips.

Damn these testosterones.

And the collar? She looked pathetic in his clothes. A human hanger incarnate. The sleeves were past her elbows; the neckline showed her visible collarbones and delicate cords of her neck muscles. And… He blinked, staring flat out at her chest.

He looked away quickly and almost ran to his kitchen.

"Huh? Master—"

"Shut up!" Sasuke bellowed from the kitchen.

"But…I'm hungry!"

"Just shut up, will you? Damn, you're _annoying_."

Sakura giggled and sat down, watching Sasuke prepare riceballs. "Okay… Your back looks so good…." She said innocently.

_Damn you_. Sasuke gritted his teeth.

**45**

Team Seven still could not believe that a walking, smiling, laughing life-size doll did exist. Maybe Jiraiya was right. The First Hokage must be insane.

Hinata was still amazed, disbelieving that Sakura was a fearsome weapon. She felt soft (contrary to what she had expected of steel coldness) and her hair was feathery with slippery feel against her fingers.

"You have nice hair, Sakura-chan…" Hinata once remarked. Sakura blinked.

"A nice hair?" She grinned. "Rhea Silvia is a good mother!"

"Who's that?"

"She's a Supercomputer System. She monitors my vitals, provide nourishment through IVs and yeah… maybe some shampoo too." She smiled. "It's like having a digital mother."

That was what she said. A Supercomputer System took care of her. However, she didn't remember how long she had existed or remember someone, recall an event.

"But there's someone. But I can only remember his voice." She looked up. "It was sad because I don't have my memories or _memories_ at all. But now that I found Uchiha Sasuke, I will make good and happy memories with him!"

Memory.

"I will do anything to have memories."

Anything?"

"Yes. Good or not, as long as I have one, I will be happy."

Happiness.

"If I don't have one, it will only make me remember that I am an empty shell. At least if I have memories, I won't be so empty. The memories will be my soul."

And Hinata realized something she had not yet realized.

The Project Sakura is soulless.

**46**

Sasuke sat lazily over the grass, his back against a tree. In front of him were Naruto, Hinata and Sakura. His teammates were cheering Sakura as she made a fireball. As he stared at her work, it was then he noticed that her fire was not _ordinarily _red. It was golden-red. Just like her golden-green eyes. But the green of her eyes were more vivid. They only appeared golden-green as the light hit her face. The green glowed like neonlights; they freaked Sasuke out sometimes. It's like staring into a pair of beaming neon green bulb lights.

Of a doll. A large mannequin.

He closed his eyes briefly, then cracked one eye opened as he heard Naruto whooped. "That's awesome! You can make shapes with your fire?"

"I think so…" Sakura murmured, staring at her fingers.

The Uchiha leaned forward to his knee. _Shapes?_

"It's not basically a shape…" said Hinata thoughtfully. "You can control the form of the fire and conjure different varieties."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, sounds like that…"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Interesting… a big human lighter, huh? Or maybe a thousand blowtorches in one deadly beautiful package. "Oy, quit experimenting her. She might explode anytime." Naruto glared at him.

"Stop addressing her as though she's an exploding tag, bastard!"

Sasuke arched a mocking brow. "She's _more_ than an exploding tag, moron."

"You—!"

"Stop, Naruto-kun." Hinata said. "Don't argue in front of her."

"Hmph!" _Heartless idiot!_ "Hey, Sakura-chan, let's go eat ramen!" Sakura opened her mouth to agree when Sasuke interjected.

"No."

Naruto whipped his head around. Sasuke just returned his glare with a blank face. "She's not coming with _you_." Sasuke-teme had a talent to pronounce words with conniving edge, making them sound with vulgarity of an insult.

"YOU—"Naruto bellowed but Hinata waved an arm in front of him.

"Sasuke-sama—"

The Uchiha grunted, moving his eyes so that he was looking at her flatly. "No. You're not coming with him."

"But…"

"They saw you and they will tear you apart the next time they'll see you."

"They?" repeated Naruto inquiringly. "Who's _they_?"

Sakura grinned. "Sasuke-sama's fans."

Sasuke grunted. _Idiot._ They were about to enter a clothing shop when a stampede similar to elephants hit the road. Curiously, Sakura glanced around and her eyes popped out. "Hey!" she exclaimed, pointing above his shoulder. Sasuke looked over his shoulder and his upper lip twitched.

"SASUKE-KUUUUUUUUUUUUN!" they chorused in high-pitched tones. And Sakura being Sakura who, Sasuke noticed, like crowds for some reason, had just waved and smiled at them charmingly.

"Hello!" her smile was cute and girls would have been charmed but…Yamanaka Ino was there, in front of the mob, her eyes in slits as she shrieked. "BITCH! Girls, she will take Sasuke-kun away!"

Sasuke groaned. Trust Ino to mess things up. But fortunately, Shikamaru appeared and drag Ino away for some mission briefing. And without their master shrieking woman, the fan club crumbled.

Naruto huffed. "I don't know what they see in him. He's just a stick with a blob of hair."

"Idiot."

"AND HE'S HEARTLESS!"

"Don't say that…" Hinata sighed.

"HE'S CRUEL TO BLONDES!" Naruto bellowed.

Sasuke smirked. "Because you're stupid."

"…you insulted me twice and…" Naruto murmured under his breath, his arms in seizures. "…one more and YOU WILL DIE—"

"Oh, please! Stop arguing already…" Hinata sighed quietly.

A smoke appeared in front of Naruto. "Yo."

"Eh? Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hello."

Naruto scowled. "Why do you have to appear in front of _me?_"

Kakashi shrugged. "You have a mission."

Sakura blinked. "A mission?"

Kakashi nodded. "Meet the Hokage right now. It's urgent."

Sasuke raised a brow but got back to his feet slowly. "Alright. Do I have to bring her along?" Kakashi glanced at Sakura who grinned at him hopefully. "Yes." The Jounin replied, adding, "Let's go."

**47**

**DO YOUR BEST!**

A big red-colored banner with bright yellow characters hung from the ceiling of the Hokage's Office.

"First of all, there would be changes." Tsunade began, leaning back to her chair royally. "Someone from your team must be transferred into someone else's team."

"WHAT!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I have to transfer one of you to make Sakura a Team 7 member. Since, she must be with Sasuke all the time." There was another shuffle of papers and a sigh.

"Oh…" Hinata looked down, fidgeting.

Tsunade leaned forward to her desk. "I'm sorry, Hinata. But I'll transfer you into another team."

**48**

Sakura gasped. "Hokage-sama—"

"Is it necessary?" Naruto asked.

"Yes it is. And I choose Hinata to transfer because the team on which I'll put her on needs a girl teammate or else they will kill each other." Tsunade explained.

There was a loud thumping outside the door, followed by a loud bam and barrage of curses. Tsunade ignored the noise. "Team 8 under Jounin Kurenai." She continued. "Don't worry Hinata, Kurenai is a good teacher. Though your soon-to-be teammates are brutes, Inuzuka Kiba is a good Jounin, you know, the one with a dog? Then there is Aburame Shino—?"

Hinata nodded meekly.

"Do you hear me, Hinata? I'm sorry. I have to pull you off from Team 7 but…you're a nice girl, right? You understand our situation?"

Hinata nodded. "I understand, Hokage-sama."

"Excellent. Kurenai is waiting for you outside the room." Tsunade said. Hinata bowed and turned to exit the room.

"Wait!"

Hinata looked around. "S—Sakura-chan!"

Sakura bowed. "I…am so sorry, Hinata-chan. Because of me, you were—"

Hinata touched her hair and Sakura raised her chin to look at Hinata's clear white eyes. "It is okay, Sakura-chan. I under the situation you and Sasuke are in."

"But—"

Hinata smiled and whispered something in her ear. "But please, protect Naruto-kun for me."

Sakura blinked. "Hinata-chan…" She smiled and nodded as Hinata pulled back. "Alright. I'll do my best!" Sakura declared, raising her palm to vow.

"That's the spirit, Sakura-chan." The pearl-eyed girl smiled at Naruto and Sasuke. "See you around. Take care of Sakura-chan…" Naruto grinned; Sasuke grunted.

"Good luck, Hinata!" Naruto cheered. The girl blushed.

"Hn."

Hinata gave another smile and stepped outside the room. An explosion took place.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHH—WAS IT A BLOODY GIRL? A GIRL? KURENAI-SENSEI IS ONE HELL OF A PROBLEM ALREADY!"

BAM!

"WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU DOG-FACED?"

"SENSEI—A GIRL IN OUR GLORIOUS TEAM?"

"Was she an original Team 7?"

"YEAH!"

"SHE MUST BE GOOD, THEN?"

"SHUT UP KIBA!"

"She's a Hyuuga."

"A HYUUGA? LEMME SEE, LEMME SEE! THOSE WHITE FREAKY EYES!"

"What the hell—"Naruto frowned at Tsunade. "Hinata is being treated like a clown there!"

"No. She isn't. Okay, here it is. A new mission for Team 7." Tsunade paused as Naruto drooled. She smirked. "You have to retrieve a very important scroll."

…

"A SCROLL? Another fucking scroll!" screamed Naruto. "I want a mission where I have to kick some ass!"

"Then kick Sasuke's." Tsunade snapped. _BAM!_ Naruto tried but Sasuke gave him the notorious Uchiha Dynamite Punch that made Naruto's head to swell.

"This is not just an ordinary scroll—"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard it before! You keep on sugar-coating! Those are extraordinary, since you said those aren't just ordinary. Obviously, they are extraordinary—"

_BAM!_

Tsunade herself punched him in the nose. "SHUT UP."

Sasuke snorted.

"I CAN'T! Your missions all stinks!"

"HA! YOU SNOTTY MIDGET! You shut up NOW or else I'll pull you off this mission!" Tsunade shouted. Sakura listened as the blondes shout at each other.

"…do they do this all the time?" she asked.

Sasuke shrugged.

"The scroll is essential to our village!"

"Why?" asked Naruto.

"DON'T ASK WHY! My gooooood, you're a Jounin already! An ANBU, too! But still you forgot the protocols of A NINJA! BAKA!" Kakashi sighed and in case Naruto retaliate, he bonked the boy hard enough to send his face flat on the floor.

"Now, Hokage-sama, what was it again?"

**49**

"I'm hungry!" Sakura announced.

They were traveling north. Sakura walked next to Kakashi, the other two were behind them. The sun hadn't rise yet, chill breeze lifted their hair.

"You spend time with Naruto so much, Sakura-chan." Kakashi said whilst reading his porn book. Sakura looked up at him curiously.

"Sensei, is it a nice book?" asked the girl.

Kakashi's lips curved in a smile behind his mask. "Hai. This is a good example of perfect literature."

Sasuke and Naruto's brows twitched. _Perfect, my ass!_ They thought at the same time. Kakashi smiled even wider. Sakura looked up at him. Smiling wickedly behind that cloth of mask, he thrust the orange book in Sakura's palm.

"Here, give it a try."

THUNDER.

A great flash split the sky.

LIGHTNING.

1

2

3

"STOP it right there!" Sasuke hissed, his body rigid, as he blocked Kakashi's hand.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…don't corrupt our precious innocent Sakura-chan!" Naruto screamed, shaking, pale and thunderstruck. Sakura and Kakashi looked at them, Sakura with wonder, Kakashi with amusement.

Sakura tilted her head on one side. "Huh? What's wrong, Sasuke-sama?"

"Don't…don't touch _that_." Sasuke commanded shakily. He can still remember vividly the day when Kakashi FORCED him to read that damned book.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, this will interest you."

"SAKURA-CHAN, DON'T!" Naruto screamed. "YOUR INNOCENCE IS LIKE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR! YOUR BEAUTY IS LIKE OF A SIREN—"

"Shut the hell up, Naruto. Kakashi, I'm warning you." Sasuke growled as he unconsciously inched closer to Sakura. "Keep your book to yourself and…" he twitched. "Just get the fuck away from her."

Kakashi shrugged. "It's a chance of a lifetime, Sakura-chan."

"Er… I… I'm curious and—"

"No."

"Sasuke-sama…"

He glared at her and seized her hand. "You're walking with _me_."

**50**

_Die._

Sakura froze.

_Die._

_Die._

_Die._

_Die._

What's… happening… to… me…?

"Sakura-chan?"

I… I…

_KILL HIM!_

_KILL HIM! KILL THAT BASTARD!_

Wha—

"Sakura."

A hand touched her bare arm.

Startled, she looked up. "Sa… Sasuke-sama…"

Uchiha frowned. Her skin was hot. It was burning. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, stroking her skin with his thumb.

"I… I…-"

_KILL HIM!_

_KILL HIM! KILL THAT BASTARD!_

No… no…

"Sakura_—"_

Her eyes suddenly popped out, wide and staring. Sasuke shivered; her eyes were glowing like green neon lights, green beams mixing with freaking golden colors. Everything turned gold and green, the pupils and sclera.

"Sakura, what the hell is your problem?" hissed Sasuke, grabbing her hands. The green leaves drifted around them as wind passed silently.

1

2

3

FOCUS.

Her eyes pierced the air around them.

SCAN.

1

2

3

ZOOM.

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NORTH

EAST

SOUTH

WEST

They watched her unblinking eyes. It was eerie; they can see their reflections mirrored in her eyes. Sasuke squeezed her hands until he felt her bones ground each other. "Sakura—"

"18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25." Her eyelids lowered. She turned 180 degrees to her left. "15 at north. 7 at south. 9, east. 11, west."

"Sakura. Sakura, what the _fuck—"_

Suddenly, Naruto was thrown back with a kunai sticking out of his arm. "Naruto!" Sasuke bellowed.

"Fuck you!" Naruto roared, blood pouring out of his wound.

Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hand. "Sakura, get down!"

"Sasuke-sama—"

"GET THE FUCK DOWN!"

She obeyed and put her hands around her head. Sasuke was standing near her, fixing his feet on the ground. The three males dropped to their defense position, listening.

"Sasuke-sama…"

_Don't look!_ _**DON'T LOOK!**_

Someone screamed in her ear.

_Don't look!_ _**DON'T LOOK!**_

_Don't look!_ _**DON'T LOOK!**_

Sakura shut her eyes. Who… who are you…?

_KILL HIM!_

_KILL HIM! KILL THAT BASTARD!_

"Fuck… damn it!" She heard Naruto cursed. Sakura looked up. Naruto was pressing a hand over his wound.

"Naruto…" Sakura murmured softly; Sasuke heard her and noticed the way Sakura was looking at Naruto's blood.

They _will_ hurt him.

A frightening delicious tingle touched her spine.

They _will_ hurt him.

They _will_ hurt him.

They _will_ hurt him.

…

…

_Die._

The green of her eyes glowed, green mixing with gold. She flexed her fingers into a fist. Then in a blink, everything went gold.

…

…

…

…

_**I WON'T LET THEM!**_

Something hit the ground. Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi looked down. Sakura's fist was on the ground. Cracks erupted until the exact spot ruptured into large chunks of granite which soared off the ground. The chunks exploded into fire like meteors and zoomed into different directions. They immediately got down in their stomachs as the fiery slabs of earth flew above their heads.

"Sakura! What the hell is your problem?" Sasuke demanded as soon as he got back to his feet, walked to Sakura and grabbed her shoulders, yanking her up to her feet. "Sakura!" He shook her. She blinked but her eyes remain gold.

"Sasuke-sama…"

Sasuke's ears perked up. Naruto and Kakashi cocked their heads sideways in a peculiar listening gesture.

"What's that sound…?" asked Naruto.

They looked at the source of the sound and cursed.

"Holy shit!" Naruto cussed.

"DUCK!" Kaakshi ordered.

But it was too late. At least hundreds of kunai, shuriken and other projectiles were accelerating towards them, coming from every direction. The three males groped their kunai to deflect the throwing weapons but it was impossible. These weapons will tear them apart. From limb to limb.

Literally.

"Saku—"Oddly, Sasuke panicked. Not for him. Not for Naruto and Kakashi. The three of them had undergone many kinds of danger but this girl…_ is_ a girl— he had momentarily forgotten that Sakura is _the_ weapon of death.

But when he looked at her, she was smiling sheepishly, her eyes eerily gold and green.

"I told you. I'll protect you."

Sasuke glanced up.

A whirlwind of fire surrounded them.


	8. Hell will not faze if your requiem is

_(visual) _Project Sakura surrounded by golden fire, wears black corset with laces in front exposing indecent cleavage and a skirt made of fishnet;

_(thoughts) _

"love me, love me… I'm your Barbie doll, I'll do what ever you want…"

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_Onno tsuka no ma no Requiem kiku_

**51**

_A hurricane of fire? _

Instead of a moving current of air whirling violently in a vertical spiral, it was a current of fire spinning very fast, deflecting the assault of hundred kunai, shuriken, among others. Suddenly, he felt like he was in hell. It was so hot and he began to sweat crazily. Behind him, he felt his squadron tensed up at the display of enormous power.

Impossibly powerful.

Impossible yet…there it was, whirling violently, ready to wipe them ff the planet.

"Be ready."

Silence.

"It's disappearing."

Crouch.

"Remember," there was a pause. He stood up. "Project Sakura is to be terminated on sight."

**52**

_Bloody hell! _Naruto cursed.

Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke began to sweat hard, their faces oily and their clothes started to adhere to their skins. Standing at the far side, Sakura looked unaffected.

Sasuke, breathing heavily and wiping his brows, glanced at her. "Sakura—"

She blinked and her eyes turned green. Slowly, the whirl decreased and eventually died, leaving the ground, adjacent trees and bushes charred. A weird silence fell over the forest.

"Sakura-chan…"

She looked up to the aftermath of the whirl-fire. Everything was black and burned. It was badly charred, everything was decimated into ashes. The visual frightened Sakura; she quickly looked for Sasuke, wide-eyed and very fearful. "Sasuke-sama! Sasuke-sama—"

Sasuke's hand shot down to her arm. "I'm here." She looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes. The boy was startled at the fear on her eyes.

"Sasuke…sama…" she gasped, holding onto his shoulders, breathing heavily. "…I'm sorry. I was… I got scared… Naruto… he's bleeding and… and… and—"

"Be quiet." Sasuke whispered, pressing a hand at the back of her head so that her face was against his neck, near his face. Naruto and Kakashi narrowed their eyes, their stances apprehensive as they looked around. Sasuke held her tighter.

_This silence…-_

_whirrr_

Sasuke's eyes whirled into Sharingan._ Kunai!_ He prepared to deflect.

Sasuke threw his blade and hit the kunai at the tip. He placed Sakura behind him and a mass of chirping electricity erupted from his hand.

"Sasuke-sama… what—"

"Be quiet."

"Let me help—"

"No." He snapped. "Just shut up."

"There are 42 enemies out there, Sasuke-sama!"

_42?_ Damn it.

_swoosh_

Ninjas in black appeared around them, each towing a black zigzagged kunai. They were masked and wore black skin-tight outfits. Even their eyes were covered. A ninja in front, clearly the squad's leader, made a signal. The rest nodded and scattered in different directions. Naruto growled and crouched, preparing a kunai in hand. But he frowned in confusion; he looked over his shoulder.

"What the hell—"

"Chidori Nagashi!" he heard Sasuke bellow.

_They're attacking Sasuke!_

**53**

Sasuke scowled as he blocked a punch and kicked in return. He groped for his Kusanagi and made another Chidori through his sword. The technique made the black ninjas jumped back.

"Who the fuck are you!" he snarled. _They're… attacking me! Who are these people! What do they want from me? _

He blocked another kunai, fought with his hands and feet— _"Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_ The ninja jumped off the ground, dodging. Instead of attacking him head-on, the enemy jumped passed him.

_What the—_

Sasuke spun around.

His eyes widened. _The target is…-_

"Sakura-chan!!" Naruto yelled.

_FUCK!_

"Sakura!" Sasuke bellowed; the girl simply stared at him like a frightened child. "GODDAMNIT!" _Katon Karyuu Endan!_

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted in panic. A doppelganger kicked a black ninja who was in mid jump, a blade pose to strike Sakura. Sasuke angrily drew out Kusanagi and blindingly strike the air. The Kusanagi hit the ground and let out coils of electricity with high-pitched sounds. The electric currents tore in the air wildly; it cut off limbs and heads. Blood sprouted out with juicy sounds.

"Sasuke-sama—"she froze, her eyes wide.

_whirr_

Naruto screamed as several exploding tags were thrown in Sakura's direction followed by a huge explosion.

"SAKURA-CHAAAAAAN!!!"

**54**

Naruto was almost in tears. "Sakura-chan…"

"Mission accomplished." A man murmured.

…

…

…

_swiiish_

Amidst the gray smokes, a bright golden-red coil of fire slithered. The smoke dissipated, replaced by angry slithering fire.

_Sakura!_

The smoke cleared. A fire in a form of a gigantic cobra coiled around Sakura like a dome. The fiery cobra slithered, spitting, its eyes were like rubies.

"Sakura-chan!"

The Hei ko shi hen kei stood in the middle of the fire, her posture slouched. Her eyes were glowing gold in the sea of fire. The cobra let out a hiss before disappearing in a cloud of smoke, leaving crispy flames on its wake. Sakura fell on her knees; oddly, her body discharged thin white smokes as though she had just blown off a torch.

The commander of the secret force unsheathed his katana, straightening his knee, evaluating the target. "Commence operations as planned."

"Hai." Each ninja mimicked his action.

"Unconditional execution of LEAF Jounins also authorized if they interfere."

Sasuke pressed his teeth together. _Who are they?_

"Begin."

**55**

They were persistent, not strong. They didn't wear any forehead protectors or any emblems. Sasuke managed three black ninjas all at the same time while craning his neck to look for Sakura. Naruto was beside her, trying to protect her. She was shaking.

"Fuck you." Sasuke growled and angrily cut a head off a neck then slammed a kunai into an enemy's throat. He broke the third's neck and helped Kakashi who was battling four.

"Let's go." Sasuke hurried over Naruto. Electricity appeared in his hand; using shape manipulation, he was able to stretch it into several strands and pierced the bodies of the black ninjas surrounding Naruto and Sakura.

"Sasuke-sama—"she was murmuring under her breath, still looking down.

Angrily, Sasuke grabbed her arm, pulling her up to her feet. "What the fuck were you doing?" he hissed. Sakura opened her eyes with a weary sigh; her left eye was gold while the other was strikingly green. Hiding his discomfort upon seeing such creepy mismatched eyes, he squeezed her arm. "Don't leave my side, do you understand?"

She lowered her lashes. "I apologize, Sasuke-sama…"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, gripping her tighter, Chidori whirling around his other hand.

"I… I'm sorry—"

"Just protect yourself and don't be a burden." He narrowed his eyes and spun around. He missed the hurt flashing on Sakura's face. Another two enemies came. Gritting his teeth, he plunged a kunai down a man's throat while grabbing the other's neck. "Who are you?" he hissed, his eyes going redder as he moved his eyes to look to his new captive. The man made a gurgling noise. The man with a kunai sticking into his throat fell lifelessly to the ground.

"I said, who are you?"

"Sasuke-sama…" her voice was very thin and small.

"Don't look." He snapped sharply, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "Look somewhere else." He commanded.

Sakura obeyed meekly, disappearing in view as she hid herself behind Sasuke.

"Who sent you?"

"…"

"What do you want from _her_?"

Receiving no response, Sasuke's anger exploded. With a hiss, the boy dug his fingers into the man's throat which eventually broke with loud snap, his head hanging in awkward angle. The body crumpled to his feet. "Asshole." He reached behind him to grab Sakura's hand.

But he grabbed nothing but air.

**56**

Sakura winced as she watched Naruto kill one ninja after the other. Kakashi was using ninjutsu to defend himself but later on, forced to use ninjutsus to kill. These black ninjas were bent on killing them.

Her eyes widened—

"Naruto—"

A man crept behind Naruto, a zigzagged kunai in the air. Panicking, Sakura launched into a run. Her hand reached forward, seizing the enemy's arm. Startled, the enemy looked at her, then—

Sakura's fist hit the masked face. A loud crack:_ craaaaack— _tore in the air sharply, grabbing everyone's attention. Silence came then before their eyes, the man Sakura punched flew back into the forest, uprooting several trees. The body was tangled, several joints popping out of their sockets.

…_superhuman strength—_

Breathing softly, Sakura straightened up, her lashes lowered as she breathed through her nose.

_Shhh_

Another enemy appeared behind her. Gold flashed. Sakura looked over her shoulder just as fire exploded at the enemy's feet, swallowing him up.

A movement alerted her. With a speed similar or faster than Lee, she spun around, her eyes narrowed and golden-green. Her hand shot up and grabbed a man around the neck so tight that the man cried out in pain. Fire burst from Sakura's other hand. Involuntarily, her grip increased unaware of her strength.

The man cursed loudly.

Startled, Sakura dropped the man to her feet. The man looked up to her, his eyes popping out at the fireball above her palm. He whimpered almost wetting himself as the fireball increased in size.

"Who are you…?"

"I… I… beg you! Please! I don't want to die! Please, I don't want to die I have a beautiful wife waiting for me and a daughter who needs a father! Please…PLEASE!" The man pleaded. Suddenly, much to the man's surprise, the fire disappeared as Sakura flopped down to her shins, her eyes shining innocently and with childlike fascination.

"REALLY? You have a wife?" she asked. The man frowned. _Strange kunoichi…_

"Huh? Eh…yes."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "SUGOI! You have a beautiful wife back at home and a daughter? THAT'S WONDERFUL! I mean to have a wife to come home to! A reason to live, to smile, to laugh….someone waiting for your return! WOW, am I genius, aren't I?" Sakura said very fast, looking into his eyes joyfully. The man could only nod in agreement. She put a finger in her chin as she screwed up her face to think.

"Maybe…hmm, maybe, I should get Master a wife—but I think it would be really hard to get my master get marry because you see, my master's SOOOOOOOOO cold like ice, he's very hot-tempered and very unapproachable! Don't you know? When I first met him, he was SO SO SO rude! He often snapped at me to shut up my mouth! What's wrong with my mouth? Do I have bad breath?" She breathed into his face.

"No," he replied very fast, afraid that she might burst into flames and roast him alive.

She grinned. "YUP! Anyway…I met Naruto! He's so like me—pleasing, cheerful…unlike his best friend—"

A man in black and mask appeared behind her. A kunai glinted in the air. _That's—_ He tried to warn the girl as the man raised the blade but as the man brought the weapon down, a huge fire erupted on his feet and swallowed him up so fast that he didn't have time to scream.

The man could only stare at her. _She's…the_—

Another man was approaching, younger and had a beautiful yet scowling face.

"And there's Hinata-chan! She's so cute! And—"

"Didn't I tell you not to leave my side?"

And Sakura yelped as a huge hand grabbed the neck of her clothes and pulled her up.

**57**

Sakura looked up to meet Sasuke's Sharingan. Kakashi and Naruto stood on his either side. The blonde was murmuring under his breath, checking his shoulder wound with a displeased frown. The Uchiha glared, his red eyes swirling with anger and suspicion.

"Ah. Sasuke-sama." Sakura began, giggling nervously. Uchiha ground his molars and moved his eyes pass her. He pushed her aside with concealed gentleness. Without warning, he grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him to his feet.

_SHARINGAN!_ The man thought, staring at Sasuke's eyes with bewilderment. _An Uchiha! But a younger…Uchiha—_

"Sasuke-sama—!"

"Be quiet." He snapped. He nodded at him. "Talk."

"…" He could not.

Naruto cursed under his breath. "Na, teme— turn off your Sharingan! You're scaring him."

Kakashi cocked his head as he crossed his arms.

"Young man, let me go."

Sasuke didn't like being ordered around. One old hag was enough. "Who sent you?" His grip on the man's neck tightened.

"Please… Sasuke-sama… he's—"

The man frowned. "Nani? Sent me what?"

Sasuke sneered, the black commas revolving sinisterly. "Came to ambush us?" The grip's becoming tighter and tighter that the man started to gasp.

"Uhh?"

Sasuke was losing his patience. Not that he have any. "Who the hell sent you? What do you want from _her_?"

"Look—"

"Man, _you_ look—he's a very arrogant, impatient little fella. I recommend you answer him now." Naruto advised. Sasuke looked even more displeased.

The man smirked between ragged breathing. "Very…impatient indeed…"

Sasuke growled. "I won't think twice. I'll kill you." He snarled.

"Brave words from an Uchiha survivor—"

Twitch.

Naruto had to stop Sasuke from crashing the man's face.

"Sasuke-sama!!" Sakura gasped, grasping Sasuke's arm.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked hurriedly as Sasuke seized the man's neck in a deathly grip, his eyes glinting maliciously. "And if you want to live long enough, please, answer quickly."

"M-Mudo…Juichiro," the man gasped. Kakashi's eye widened then he smirked. _I see._

"Hey, Sasuke, let him go. He's going to be useful."

**58**

"I was informed that a Leaf citizen is frolicking around this place." Kakashi said, crouching in front of tightly bound and gagged Mudo Juichiro.

"Mmmmghefuuuuho!"

Team 7 raised their brows. "Come again?"

"Mmmmghefuuuuho!"

"What?" Naruto said loudly.

"Mmmmghefuuuuho!"

Sasuke clenched his fist. "Idiot. He's gagged." He snapped, punching Naruto at the back of his head.

Kakashi and Naruto blinked. "Uh…I see." Naruto said. Sasuke's left eye twitched menacingly. Damn idiot. Naruto ripped the gag off.

"Now talk, Mudo-san," Naruto declared.

Mudo looked at them angrily. "I am NOT frolicking around this place. I live here."

Sasuke shot him an I-kill-you-so-damn-slow-if-you-piss-me-even-more look. "Son of a bitch. You're one of them, aren't you?"

Mudo was overwhelmed with the boy's rotten attitude. "You're so rude."

"So what?" Sasuke retorted, slightly taken aback with the man's blunt statement. No one, dead or alive, had dared to speak to him _that_ way. Or say it directly to his face. Even Naruto hadn't told him that he was rude. Bravery, in Sasuke's case, will cause death.

"Bravo, Mudo-san." Kakashi said, smirking. "My sentiments exactly," he added, his normal eye crinkling with amusement. "You're one brave soul, Mudo-san. You truly are a Leaf Ninja. Only Leaf Ninjas has the courage to speak to our Royal Rottenness about his crude animalistic behavior."

Sasuke felt the color rise in his face. Naruto chuckled beside him.

Mudo smirked.

"But again, only stupid—"Mudo raised his brows at this as Kakashi stressed the word 'stupid', "—brave Leaf Ninjas have the guts to tell our Royal Rottenness that he is rude." Kakashi added after a while. "Because you see…our darling Sasuke-kun is a very violent young virgin—"

Four shuriken hit Kakashi in the head, five in the lower limbs and one kunai on the forehead.

All thrown by Sasuke.

Sakura gasped and screamed, very loudly and full of horror: "KAKASHI-SENSEI—"

_POOF!_

"You _idiot_," it was clear that he was trying to keep his temper in check and his language dirt-free. "Stick to the point or I'll kill you too."

"Alright…" Kakashi said, after reappearing in a cloud of smoke. "Please don't look at me like that. I'm very embarrassed." Sasuke glared that his eyebrows were crinkling badly. "Well, Mudo-san, let's get to the point, shall we?" Kakashi faked a cough as Sasuke shot him a murderous look. "Are you…er…" he looked at Naruto for support who shrugged then to Sasuke whose gaze held a clear message: asshole, talk to me and you're dead.

Kakashi coughed again. "Are you one of them?"

Mudo scoffed. "Who are them?"

"Those little filthy bastards who attacked us an hour ago," Naruto piped in.

"Stupid brat," Mudo scoffed. "I'm just a woodcutter."


	9. My last love shall I trade it over?

(visual) Project Sakura wears Victorian outfit— white blouse with puffy sleeves, flamboyant knotted red bowtie, tight silk pants, leather knee-high boots and white gloves. Red heavy trench coat hangs over her shoulders, drowning her small frame. She also wears a fedora hat with wide floppy brim and heavily-tinted square sunglasses. She sits on a high-back intricate chair, grinning wickedly with her long hair all over her front and shoulders. _((…I'm just a child, crying out for death.))_

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_Saigo no ai hikikaeyou ka_

**59**

A vein. Then another…and another. And another.

All four veins popped out all at once on Sasuke's forehead. "What the _fuck—"_

"Woodcutter, my ass!" Naruto yelled before Sasuke could continue. "And you call _me_ stupid! How dare you! Didn't you know me? I am Uzumaki— _ughgg_!" Sasuke kicked Naruto on the butt, sending the boy crashing forward.

"Naruto!" Sakura said, startled.

"_YOU_!" Naruto yelled on Sasuke's face after he recovered from the fall. "What the hell is your problem, ratface?"

"Get the hell out of my way." Sasuke sneered.

"What the hell is your problem!" Naruto repeated. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Are you deaf, dobe? I said get the hell out of my way."

"Y-you…I always knew you are a bastard…but you—"Sasuke shoved Naruto face first onto a tree trunk.

"A woodcutter who just happened to pass by." Sasuke glowered, Sharingan swiveled into life. Mudo ground his molars as he looked up to the creepy shinobi. From his position, he could only glimpse the cruel red eyes. The rest of the Uchiha's face was shadowed by his thick black hair. Such a young boy trapped in a body of a ruthless killer. "My eyes see _everything. _Know _everything._ No one can ever lie to me." Those red eyes narrowed into slits. "Who are _you_?"

"I am _just_ a woodcutter." Mudo repeated stubbornly. _Ting._ He heard the wind whistled— it was _so_ fast. Hadn't the pink-haired girl gasp, Mudo will never know what happened.

"Sasuke-sama, _no!_"

Mudo didn't know that he was holding his breath painfully. A kunai was pointed between his eyes.

"I said…" the black-haired shinobi lowered his voice. "Who are you?"

"Please… Sasuke-sama! He's old!" Sakura pleaded beside him. "…and weak! Please, don't hurt him—"

"You're so naïve." Sasuke spat. "And you're _supposed_ to be something unpleasant." Sakura obviously flinched at his words. Nevertheless, Sasuke withdrew the blade and stepped back.

Kakashi made a 'tsk' sound. "Hmm. That's cruel…" he murmured. "I think he must have lost himself." He pushed himself off the tree and approached Mudo. "Let me help you find yourself…"

The man jerked.

Kakashi smiled. "…may I?" Mudo looked away. "You _are_ Mudo Juiichiro. I know my history books well, Mudo." His voice dropped into silent warning. "…I don't think you have forgotten… Namikage Minato, haven't you?" Naruto perked up upon hearing the name. "You _were_ one of Konoha's most celebrated ANBU captains. The person who taught _The_ Fourth Hokage in the use of katana."

"…eh?" Naruto looked at his senior. "…seriously? This senile punk?"

The pale-haired Jounin shrugged. "I can't believe they just let you off. You are an important figure in Konoha."

Mudo scoffed. "You know your history well… Hatake."

"You _know_ each other?" Naruto interjected.

"_Know_?" Mudo snorted. "I trained that teenage masked ninja turtle how to peek on girls!"

Kakashi unceremoniously shoved his foot on Mudo's face.

"Ooohhhh… that's why Kakashi grew up perverted." Naruto said, smirking nastily to his teacher.

"Whatever." Kakashi said blankly. But Naruto and Sasuke were smirking. The Jounin shrugged, rotating his foot on Mudo's face. "Sure, he did. But that was a long time ago."

"Whatever." Sasuke snapped, his eyes were gray-tinted instead of scarlet. "He was a Leaf ANBU, big deal. What the hell is he doing here?" he scrutinized Mudo with dislike. "This stupid _woodcutter_?"

"HEY!" Mudo snapped angrily.

"Nevertheless," Kakashi interrupted smoothly. "We need him. The Fifth informed me that a certain Mudo Juiichiro will lead to us to the scroll we seek."

Mudo looked alarmed. "What scroll?"

"The Forbidden Scroll of What-The-Hell-Shitty-Thingy-Boo," Kakashi supplied. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura looked at him, confused.

"_Excuse me_?"

"Truth be told, we don't know what the scroll contains. That is why we came to look for you." Kakashi answered.

Mudo snorted and looked away from them. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to us." Though Kakashi looked harmless, Mudo knew _him_ well. That silent posture, the masked face. The skills he harnessed under The Yondaime's tutelage. "You know exactly what scroll we seek."

"Fine, fine,_ fine_… but we can talk about this later. You see it's getting dark and darkness means death in Hidden Little Falls." Mudo said.

"Hidden Little…Ass?" Naruto said, confused.

"Dobe, Hidden Little FALLS. Really, are you stupid or really…"

"WHAT?" Naruto challenged aggressively. Sasuke smirked.

"…really, really, stupid?" the Uchiha continued. Uzumaki swelled like a saber tooth tiger which made Sasuke smirked cruelly.

"WANNA FIGHT WANNA DIE, ROYAL ROTTENNESS UCHIHA? COME ON! COME ON!" Naruto yelled.

"Hey, hey," Kakashi called out, waving his hand. "Chill, boys. Let's go." The Jounin grabbed the back of Mudo's clothes and heaved him up to his feet. The former ANBU muttered something under his breath and started walking.

"Sakura." Sasuke called out flatly, authoritatively.

"Hai, Sasuke-sama." The girl replied quietly.

"Let's go. And don't leave my side, do you understand?"

"Understood, Sasuke-sama."

"…good." Sasuke strapped his Kusanagi back to its holster then swung it over his back. "Are you hurt?"

She looked up at him. "…me? No, I am well, Sasuke-sama." She lowered her gaze to her right fist. Flexing her fingers, extending them then making a fist, she opened her hand and fire burst out, blindingly bright and golden-red. Immediately, she flexed her fingers to make a fist and the fire extinguished. "…it's gold, Sasuke-sama. Did you notice?"

"Aa." He frowned. "Does it matter?"

"Hmm… I don't know. But it feels weird."

"…"

"I… am I supposed to develop blisters, Sasuke-sama?"

He arched an eyebrow. "…?"

"I'm wielding fire. Normally, I should have developed a blister or a burn."

Sasuke shrugged, pushing his hands inside his pockets. "You're _not_ exactly normal, Sakura…"

The doll blinked. "…oh." Green eyes dropped to her hands.

"I reckoned you have expressive durability. Not to be able to injure yourself with your own ability." Sasuke said in a monotone as he looked down to her. Some of her pink hair fell over her eyes. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the three males almost halfway across the forest. Without looking at her, Sasuke held up his hand.

"Let's go."

Heat spread up across Sakura's cheeks. "Uh…" But a smile crossed her face as she lifted her hand to his.

Long fingers wrapped around her thin wrist. Sasuke squeezed the bones as though making sure she was there. "Don't leave my side."

"Yes."

"Hn." A long pause. "…and don't wander off."

**60**

"Alpha Unit failed to capture the target. Requesting for back-up, sir."

"Alright."

"The target is heading north with four companions: three shinobi from Leaf and one unidentified person."

"Proceed with the mission. Target to be annihilated on sight. Engage Leaf into battle if necessary."

"Roger."

"Four units will be dispatched at 2330hours."

"Roger."

"Keep an eye on the Project."

"Hai."

"Do not fail."

**61**

_Knock_

_Knock_

A girl with red short hair approached the door hurriedly. "Coming!" she called and wrenched the door open. "Father, I'm so worried about— oh!" She gasped. Her father was standing in front of a group of strangers. A group of handsome strangers plus a little chic.

The tallest of four visitors was silver-haired man with a mask, slim but muscular-shouldered. "Yo." His voice was cool as he raised a hand as a greeting. The third was a blonde with whiskers on his cheeks and a feisty grin slapped over his face. He was big and well-sculpted wearing black and orange clothes. Weird fashion sense.

But the most breath-taking for her was the boy with dark hair and dark eyes.

"Oyasumi." The boy grunted, obviously distracted and the greeting seemed forced. The redhead felt the fine hairs of her nape stood up in response. What a sexy, sexy specimen… Dark thick hair in casual disarray. Ah, the messier, the better, the sexier. Dark eyes, cold, fathomless. _Wow._ He's delicious like chocolates.

Yummy.

"Oh… w-we have visitors…" she said hoarsely, not taking her eyes off the dark-haired shinobi.

Sasuke, of course, given his intelligence and Uchiha-ness, noticed the familiar fangirl look on the girl's face. And his eyes didn't fail to see the way those plain blue eyes ravaged his features. _Idiot._

"Hello there!" The only female in the group waved frantically. The redhead looked at her blankly and the first word she thought was: _weird_.

Why, her hair was pale pink, like cotton-candy. It was thick and waist-length, very straight. Then, she has golden neon-green eyes which was _not _normal in _normal_ people. Her built was pathetically small compared to her other three male companions. She was like a toy compared to the other three. But boy, she definitely had a good body, big breasts, long legs and a pretty face. The color of her red dress enhanced her skin tone. The dress was red with short puffed sleeves, a zipper in front as an opening with very short skirt with slits on either side. It was tight around her chest emphasizing her large round breasts. A black armband was attached around her right sleeve with a fan emblem.

"Miya-chan." Mudo called out. The redhead blinked and tore her gaze from the pink-haired girl.

"Otou-san, who are they?" she asked.

"Your mother, where is she?" Mudo asked instead.

"Juiichiro-kun? You're home. It is kind a late already, I'm beginning to worry." A woman with carrot-colored hair tied in a bun on top of her head appeared from the doorway. They saw her froze. "Who…who are they?"

Mudo sighed. "Leaf ninjas."

"L-Leaf…!" she choked. "Are they…here to arrest you?" she asked, fear filling her eyes.

Kakashi chuckled. "No, madam. This is just a friendly visit."

"I…see. Juiichiro-kun, are you hurt?"

"No." He sat on a chair, looking tired. "They're here to question me about some… stuff."

"Like what?" Miya asked, giving Sasuke a disgustingly familiar fangirl grin that made Sasuke snort.

"Well, miss, you know, it's a matter to be discussed between us and your father!" Naruto said, grinning.

"Hai. Miya, go to your room." Mudo ordered.

"But Father—"

"Miya-chan, please obey your father." The woman said. The girl pouted and left the living room. "Juiichiro-kun, I hope this is not what I thought it is…" the carrot-haired woman said as soon as their daughter was upstairs. Kakashi was about to reply when—

"So you ARE Mudo-san's wife!" Sakura butted in, placing herself in between the couple. The woman was stunned; obviously bewildered at Sakura's eeriness and her strange pink hair.

"You're so beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed; her innocent eyes were shining.

"Erm, why, thank you…and you are—"

"My name is—"

"Oi." Sasuke seized Sakura's arm and pulled her aside. "…don't talk when you're not being addressed to."

"But—"

"We can't stay here for long." Sasuke interrupted, looking down to Mudo. "You have to tell us everything about the scroll. After that, we will leave."

"He's right. We cannot waste time." Kakashi agreed. "Time is valuable. We have to find this item and return to Leaf as soon as possible."

Mudo yawned widely. "After dinner, can we? My wife's a good cook and it would be a waste of good food if we talk something awful beforehand."

**62**

By the time they finished eating, it was past nine. Both Naruto and Sakura had outrageous appetites. Mudo wasn't lying about her wife being a good cook. Even Sasuke who was rarely impressed especially in an area concerning food, was impressed.

"I knew Tsunade-hime well. She doesn't know me personally, yeah, but I knew her face from afar. The Shodai's granddaughter, isn't she? Man, that woman is a GODZILLA, I tell ya!" Mudo said and let out a laugh.

Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke looked at each other.

"She's got super boobs, ne, ne? But she's noisy, got a mouth that talks like a machine gun— RATATATATATATAT! Damn, all women are noisy."

"JUIICHIRO!" His wife shouted viciously.

"And you happened to be married to one." Naruto said sardonically.

Mudo made a face. "And even in bed, women are noisy."

Kakashi faked a cough. "Ahem—"

Sasuke grunted.

"Gee, thank Kami-sama I was born with a dick not with a precious little—"

_Snap. _Kakashi snapped his book shut. "Well, we don't have much time. Tell us what you know about the scroll."

Mudo blinked. "Oh yeah. The scroll of Shitty Poo Pow." He narrowed his eyes. "I tell ya, this scroll is very dangerous."

Naruto arched a brow. "It doesn't sound frightening. Who would get scared of a scroll of shitty poo pow, huh? The name's so frickin' stupid. Give me a break."

"What is its proper name?" Sasuke asked.

Mudo shrugged. "It's just called a scroll. Dull, yeah, yeah— the makers didn't bother with proper names. It contains an ancient kinjutsu that can obliterate a person's memories AND feelings."

The three men frowned.

"Is that possible?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi tilted his head in the side thoughtfully. "The brain is a complex array of cells that stores memories and you just cannot chant a jutsu and make those memories disappear. Memories aren't written on the walls of the skull to be simply erased, they're stored in the brain cells which are the most advanced cells in the body."

"Hmmm, of course, deleting a person's memory is impossible." Mudo agreed. "But let me tell ya, the people who created this jutsu aren't just your ordinary friendly neighborhood, Kakashi."

Sasuke and Naruto frowned.

Mudo's face turned serious. "Those people… are _insanely_ smart. They are crazy but clever, ironic isn't it, to be crazy and be clever at the same time?"

"They're geniuses, in short." Sasuke said dryly.

"Ha, ha— if that's your idea of genius, heh, I'd rather be a fool." Mudo grumbled. "To create something that will wipe out your entire clan, it isn't a work of a genius."

Sasuke's jaw moved. "What's that supposed to mean? Don't tell me my family is involved in this?"

"Your family is not only the clan that got the honor to be wiped out by its own bloody member." Mudo said, sarcastically. "The Haruno family was also massacred by its own heir."

**63**

_A soft cry broke his reverie. _

"_Otou-san…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"_

_He looked down to his child. So small and fragile, who would have thought a child this small will someday— He shook his head. Don't even think about that. Think positive._

"_I'm sorry…Papa, they will kill you… they will… take you away from me…I cannot stop." large eyes grew moister. "I cannot control it, Papa…it's as if…there's someone controlling me. As if…I'm losing myself! Am I going crazy?"_

_He sighed._

"_Why? Why am I like this? Why? WHY!"_

_A flash of fire erupted nearby._

"_Why? WHY? I…I… am I monster?"_

_No. He wanted to say but his throat refused to work as if it knew it was a lie._

"_Kenji! KENJI, where are you?"_

_He whirled around. "…what…are you doing here?" he asked._

_Before the father and child was the Yondaime._

"_That's a HUGE fire, Kenji-kun."_

_He looked down._

"_What happened?"_

"…"

"_Kenji-kun, talk to me!"_

"_They're dead. All of them."_

"…_w-what?" Yondaime asked, looking at the fire._

"…_killed them all…" and he began to cry._

**64**

"What?"

"It wasn't publicized." Kakashi said.

Naruto made a face. "Who would want to publicize a goddamn massacre?"

"Oh sorry Naruto," Kakashi said smoothly, heavily laced with sarcasm. "I should have picked my words carefully. Knowing your intelligence…" Naruto growled. "What I meant was, when the massacre happened, there was a huge cover up to conceal the incident. Many high-ranking Leaf officials conspire to hide the occurrence of such bloodbath. Unlike the Uchiha Massacre, the Haruno carnage was kept secret." Kakashi explained.

"Chotto, don't tell me…" Sasuke narrowed his eyes and Mudo cursed. Of course, with his Uchiha brain, he must have notice his slip-up.

"…it was the Haruno family who invented such jutsu?"

**65**

Konohagakure:

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, scanning the entries of the journal under September 29:

'_Today, ten teenagers— precisely, ten Parallelogram subjects, 6 boys and 4 girls, died at the age of seventeen. They died so young. And they died in such a macabre way. Their brains exploded. Literally.'_

Tsunade shivered. _Exploding brains…?_

She read the entries under September 30:

'_Another twelve seventeen-year old teenagers died today. My daughter was one of them.'_

She flipped to the page marked October 01:

'_I saw it with my own eyes. Heads exploding… brains blowing up in every direction… this experiment… this project should be stopped. But the Shodai Hokage cannot do anything. The Haruno Family was the financier of the Project Hei ko Shi Hen kei, the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans as their façades and these clans were very influential. Plus, they said_: this is for the sake of Konoha_.'_

October 7:

'_More and more Parallelogram subjects die, their heads exploding. Two of them had their heads blasting off in public. Three blasted their own heads unable to endure the insanity. Two died while eating, four died while chatting with friends. The public was starting to panic.'_

Tsunade cringed. _This was…hideous_. How could her grandfather tolerate this?

October 13:

'_Friday the thirteenth. They found a new test subject, a subject they coded as Subject Rapscallion.'_

She highlighted the words 'Subject Rapscallion' with a green marker and turned to the next page.

October 23:

'_It was a success. Subject Rapscallion can light fires that can reach almost 4000 Kelvin— 1,800 more and it can burn as hot as the Sun. It was amazing. The color of the flame is gold. The control of such flame was impossible but, the Harunos managed to concoct some miracle from their mad brains on how to make things possible. Such intelligence was a curse…'_

"Whoa. 4000 Kelvin? Impossible. And the flame is gold?" she underlined the words she thought was important and continued reading.

October 31:

'_A trial was made to test the effectiveness of the new technique the Harunos invented. Their new invention was what they call Toy Transmutation Instrumentality Program. I don't know what it was really about but it sounds dangerous. I don't like the word 'toy' and 'instrumentality'.'_

November 6:

'_It was a success.'_

November 8:

'_I found out what Toy Transmutation Instrumentality Program was about.'_

Tsunade straightened up in her seat.

Toy Transmutation Instrumentality program.

She scanned the page for more information but she found the succeeding pages blank. The next was entry was:

November 19:

'_The Subject Rapscallion went insane. He underwent major neurosis, his brain bursting progressively; he can no longer control his flame and his health deteriorated. It was pathetic, watching a man mumbling incoherently while engulfed in fire. Makes you wish he's dead.'_

November 22:

'_The Subject escaped. No one knows where he's heading.'_

November 27:

'_A fifteen year old Haruno girl was raped brutally. She was alive but…'_

December 3:

'_The Subject Rapscallion was captured, he was killed.'_

December 4:

'_I forgot something important.'_

Tsunade's heart was suddenly beating hard.

'_The Subject Rapscallion was a Haruno.'_

**66**

"Yeah, it was the Haruno Family who invented the jutsu."

"It was said they disappeared mysteriously in one night. In fact, no one survived." Sasuke said.

"They were killed by their own relative. Why? No one knew. The Harunos are all strange."

"Where is this scroll?" asked Naruto.

Mudo shrugged. "I don't know. No one knows except a Haruno and they're dead, all of them."

"I got a question!" Naruto asked cheerfully.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "It better be sensible, dobe."

The blonde gave the Uchiha a dirty finger before looking at Mudo. "Ne, why did they create a jutsu like that? What for?"

Mudo looked away. "I don't know. I'm not part of the Project Parallelogram so I don't have any idea why did the Harunos created that jutsu. Even the objectives of the Project are unclear."

"…so," Sasuke's voice dropped into low tone. "You will recognize a Parallelogram Project everywhere, am I correct?"

Mudo ground his molars.

Sasuke dropped his eyelids. "The first time you saw Sakura…" the girl glanced at him curiously. "…you knew _she's_ different."

Mudo opened his mouth.

"Don't lie to me. I hate being lied to." He growled in a low cold tone. "I saw your expression. When you saw her, you_ paled._ I saw how your eyes moved. The recognition flashing on your face." The way he looked was creepy. "You're not telling us _everything._"

Mudo grunted. "I knew she's different, alright. I just didn't expect that something extraordinary and surprisingly _not_ bloodthirsty was derived from the experiment."

"…er, bloodthirsty?" repeated Naruto timidly.

"…I heard things about the Parallelogram products. They looked normal but inside, their monsters are screaming for blood. They're cute but inside, they harbor a monster."

Sakura cringed.

"…fortunately, the products are _humans _gifted with self-control. They chose to blow themselves up rather than succumb to their bloodlust."

"Sasuke-sama…" Sakura looked up to Sasuke who wore a grim expression.

Suddenly, Mudo smiled. "But, _you_ are truly different, Sakura."

"…huh?"

"…very different. I dissociate with Leaf long before you made your appearance, so I don't have any idea about you. Are you someone's daughter? Your hair is unique."

Sakura lowered her lashes. "… I don't remember anything, Mudo-san. Sasuke-sama found me in a laboratory."

"A laboratory?" Mudo stared at Sasuke. "In Twilight Forest, am I right?"

"How did you know that?"

"…that forest. It's the containment field to control Leaf's trump card." He frowned.

"… I see. You are not someone's daughter. Rather, you were created. The doll… I can't believe _it_." He stared at Sakura with intensity. "You actually exist… They perfected their _toy_ of destruction. The Leaf's killing machine." The old man looked suddenly sober.

The Uchiha stood up. "Let's go."

"Eh? Where are we going?" asked Naruto.

"We will leave now. There's no reason for us to stay."

"But we have to find the scroll!" argued Naruto.

"I know that, idiot." He looked down to Sakura who looked stunned. "Sakura."

She jerked. "…ah, Sasuke-sama… you called?"

Uchiha averted his gaze. "We will leave."

"…alright."

"Mudo."

He looked up to the towering Uchiha. "Eh?"

"Sakura is not a toy."

Silence.

The old man showed a weary smile. "Maybe, maybe not."

"Asshole." He grunted. "Let's go."

"Ah, Sasuke." Kakashi yawned. "Tomorrow, tomorrow, we will leave and search the world. But for now, let's take a rest. Even ninjas need sleep."

"Ninjas endure!" Naruto said pompously.

"Moron."

"Bastard!"

**67**

"…alright, about the sleeping arrangements." Mudo announced as they get up. "My house is small. We have two spare rooms with one bed each. Sorry about that."

"No problem." Kakashi said smoothly. "Sasuke and Sakura will not mind sharing—"Sasuke flinched at this. "—Naruto and I will share."

"Who gets the bed?" exclaimed Naruto aggressively.

"I will." Kakashi replied.

"What! No—"

Kakashi waved. "Good night everyone." _Poof!_

"You goddamned pervert!" yelled Naruto before rushing upstairs. Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"Are you okay with the arrangement, Sasuke-sama?" asked Sakura. Sasuke shrugged and ambled upstairs.

"Thank you, Mudo-san!"

"Wait a moment, Sakura."

"…what is it?" she asked quietly. Mudo sighed.

"Things would be very difficult for you and for Sasuke in the future. I suggest, do not be emotionally attached to your chosen master."

Sakura faced him fully. "…I don't understand what 'emotionally attached' means."

He looked down. "Liking someone. Loving someone. Wanting to touch them. Wanting to kiss them. Wanting to protect them. Not wanting to lose them." Mudo lifted his eyes to hers. "That's what emotionally attached means, Project Sakura."

Sakura's eyes were wide and curious.

He stood up.

"Please, Project Parallelogram." His expression was somber. "Do not fall in love with Uchiha."

--


	10. Surely, I'll never forget

--

**R**

**A**

**G **

**D**

**O**

**L**

**L **

**S**

**A**

**K**

**U**

**R**

**A**

--

_Kitto Wasurenai_

--

**68**

Sakura sat up and blinked into the darkness. At once, her eyes snapped into their eerie color- neon-green outside, startling gold centers. The gold glow emitted a small beam, soft, calming. Sitting upright, she waited for her eyes to adjust, focusing on the gray shadows dancing across the walls.

…_what is it?-_ she thought, sliding her hand under her pillow. Wrapping her fingers around the kunai, she gulped, white blanket covering her body.

"Haa… haa… haa… haa…-"

Sakura's eyebrows rose, bemused, _what—_

"…haa- haa… haa…-"

"Uh—?"

"…haa— haa… haa! Haa—… haa—"

Lowering her guard and the kunai she was holding, Sakura cautiously scooted to the edge of the bed, the white blanket slipping off her chest as she leaned down, eyes wide, still gold— peering in confusion.

…_Sasuke-… sama?_

Looking closer, lowering her face until she was on her knees and hands at the edge of the bed, she saw Sasuke's large body shivering as he lay on his side, his hands clutching the bed sheet. Sakura blinked harder, eventually, her eyes adjusted and slowly, clearly— Sasuke was indeed shivering, not in cold or fear but from hyperventilation.

"…Sasuke-sama, are you—"

"…haa— haa… haa! Haa—… haa—"

…_alright? _She was supposed to say but did not finish when the boy curled, his hand that clutched the bed sheet shook and veins popped out as his hand muscles contracted viciously. A flash of guilt flooded Sakura's eyes, watching the boy breathed rapidly as though he was dying, lying in that hard floor. Few hours before, Sasuke was _compassionate_ enough to offer her the bed while he spread a futon over the space beside the bed.

"Na… you can use the other half of the bed, Sasuke-sama." Sakura said as she watched him. The boy grunted, sitting down, cross-legged atop the make-shift sleeping bag.

"No." He replied simply, scratching the top of his head. The pink-haired girl chewed the inside flesh of her bottom lip. Long shapely legs were bent outward, crossed at her ankles. Rocking on her bottom, green-gold eyes- wide and naïve- watched Sasuke as he studied the white-washed walls.

"But," murmured the girl, "the bed is large enough for both of us."

Sasuke made a growling noise under his breath, flexing his neck. He straightened his left leg and Sakura's eyes unknowingly wandered towards the breadth of his long leg, clad in black pants.

"…oi." It was Sasuke's sharp voice. "What are you looking at?"

Sakura stiffened, staring back to Sasuke's scowling face, his expression was of inquiry, slightly suspicious. Sakura giggled to cover up her embarrassment. "No- nothing!" She answered, smiling a lopsided smile.

Sasuke looked away and snorted, "hn." Under her lashes, Sakura watched as he flexed and un-flexed his leg, leaning forward, pushing his arms forward so that the fabric of his black shirt at the back pulled taut on his back. Sculpted back muscles, the firm, strong roundness of his shoulders and the muscles surrounding his shoulder blades appeared and stretched under the shirt.

"Go to sleep." He was speaking.

"Eh?"

He sighed sharply. "Go to sleep." He repeated, lifting his face.

Sakura exhaled, "alright." She plopped down to her side, facing him. Silk strawberry strands covered her face, except for her eyes. For a while, the Uchiha kept looking at her, his eyes and face was shadowed with the cage of black hair so she could not see where he was looking at. Her legs started to numb awkwardly; she moved her left leg first, bending it at her hip before spreading her other leg. The movement caused the hem of her oversized shirt to ride up higher. She sighed softly, eyelids dropping, her leg moving up… higher- higher- Sasuke turned away from her with a grunt.

"Stop it."

Sakura blinked lazily. "…huh?"

He lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "Cover yourself."

She stared at the back of his head.

"Use the sheets, Sakura."

"Huh?"

A sharp exhale. "It will be cold."

"Oh." Her hand reached up for the blanket, spreading it over her exposed legs. Behind her long bangs, she watched Sasuke stand up to turn off the lights, engulfing the room in blackness. Sakura sunk her head into the softness of the pillow, listening to the soft sounds produced by his movements. Abruptly, the sounds stopped, replaced by deep breathing.

"Hmm…"

She shifted, lying on her back, scanning the unseen ceiling.

"…good night."

She closed her eyes.

"Sasuke-sama."

Slumber was lusciously deep, only to be disturbed later on.

"…Sasuke-sama." She called softly, above whisper. "Sasuke-sama!" this time, her tone was urgent. Biting her lower lip, Sakura reached down to touch his shoulder. "Sasuke-sama… wake up!"

But the boy continued to suck in air rapidly. Her hand slid with caution, sliding down to the back of his neck. The hair on his nape was slightly wet from sweat. He was hot, very warm. Her fingers moved up and came across his cheek, feeling it move under her touch, contracting as he gulped for air greedily.

"Sasuke-sama…" Sakura's face contorted in worry. "He's hyperventilating… this is bad." Slowly, she retracted her hand, swung her legs off the bed and bent down to Sasuke. She started to shake his shoulder. "Sasuke-sama— wake up. Wake up!" However, his condition seemed to worsen.

"Ah! What should I do?!" Sakura panicked, pulling her hair. "…this is bad. Should I… er—"she looked down at his panting face. "—punch him?"

"…haa— haa… haa! Haa—… haa—"

"Ah! No, no, no, no!" she shook her head. "It will hurt… and I don't want to hurt him!" She paused, listening awkwardly at Sasuke's breathing. "Ahh… should I… er— umm… slap him? Pull his hair? Hit his head? Whaaaaat?" Her gaze wandered to his face. His eyes were shut tight, a deep scowl wrinkled his brows. Breeze floated in through a small gap between the window and its sill, lifting and drawing the curtains aside. A sliver of moonlight entered the room through the flimsy curtains.

_What is this…?_ A bright flush colored her cheeks. _This strange feeling…_ She stared, wide-eyed, at Sasuke's flushed face, beads of sweat rolled and covered the graceful, sensual curve of his jaw. His thin lips were slightly moist and when he groaned— Sakura fought the urge to close her eyes and shudder.

_This… feeling— it's scary. It is so intense…_ She clenched her hands, biting her lip, lowering her long lashes. Suddenly, Sasuke's large hand grasped at her arm. "What—"she gasped, her face wincing at the force of his grip. "Ah… Sasuke-sama…" his skin was so warm, scorching. Startled, she looked at his hand gripping her forearm, his fingers encircling crook of her elbow, then to the arm attached to that hand— muscled but lean, pale yet strong…and _very_— she blushed harder— hot. Her eyes went up to his arm, to the round of his shoulder, palpable under the sleeve of his black shirt.

"If I don't do something—"her eyes landed on his chest, to his exposed collarbones, moist with thick sweat. "—who knows what might happen! He might die—"her eyes widened, blush darker, brighter as her gaze found his gasping, parted lips. _Kyaaa! What am I doing!?_ "Gomen, Sasuke-sama… I mean no disrespect! Sorry, sorry!" However, her traitorous eyes continue to wander— his cheeks were red, wet black locks framed his closed eyes and forehead.

"Ahhhh! I must seek Kakashi-sensei!" Quickly, Sakura made a move to get up, but plopped down forcefully, back to Sasuke when his hand, which she forgotten had hooked itself in her elbow, refused to let go. Her momentum sent her crashing to Sasuke's body—

_Plop._ "Ah! Ah… no!" she rubbed her head. "Sorry! Sorry—" Blink. Green eyes widened in shock and mortification, "Ehhhhhhhhh??" she squealed as quietly as she could. _Oh no! Oh no! Ahhh!! Sasuke-sama will KILL me once he found out that I—_

Sakura was on top of Sasuke, her long naked legs straddling his hips. Huffing. Huffing. Her other hand was planted beside his head, long black hair scrunching under her palm. Amid her chagrin, she cannot stop but notice how silky his hair was— unnatural for a boy, how arrogant his damp nose was… how—

_He's very… beautiful._

Her heart pounded so hard that she felt it on her throat and suddenly, her body was flushed and very warm. She, too, began to breathe raggedly. Hesitantly, Sakura lifted her hand off the futon and touched the thick bundle of hair on his forehead. She ran her fingers in his hair, amazed and dazed. _So smooth…_ warm, damp. Between her index finger and thumb, she stroked particular long strands that reached down to his nose. Her fingers paused, green-gold eyes blinked. A small smile crossed her lips and she touched his cheek with one finger, tracing small circles across his cheekbones. Like his hair, his cheek was damp, covered in thin sheet of sweat.

_His body is so warm… why?_

"…haa— haa… haa! Haa—… haa—"

One finger became two then it was her palm pressing on his flushed face. If possible, his skin became warmer, almost steamy. Sakura cannot stop herself; with the tip of her fingers, she gingerly touched his moist lips. The warmth of his mouth startled her.

"…haa— haa… haa! Haa—… haa—"

"…Sasuke-sama."

Index finger trembling, she traced his bottom lip; the tip of her finger grew moist with the small layer of saliva coating his lips.

Soft breathing.

"…haa— haa… haa! Haa—… haa—"

Soft, shaky breaths.

"…haa— haa… haa! Haa—… haa—"

Sakura leaned her face closer to Sasuke's— "…haa— haa… haa! Haa—… haa—"

"What is …it?" she whispered, her expression dazed, almost drunken. The weight of her breasts pressed down to his heaving chest. Upon contact, her nipples tightened behind the thin fabric of her shirt, the fine hairs of her skin stood up, and she shuddered, closing her eyes. Together they panted in each other's mouth, separated by two inches. Her upper body was putting its weight on Sasuke's torso, her leg bent, knee touching the sides of his hip. While her other leg was tangled with his, her panties, in back view, was overly exposed, some skin of her buttock under the seams was in full view.

"…are you dreaming—" the hand on her elbow tightened. The other that gripped the bed sheet, flew up, landing on the area above her ass. The fingers made a fist over her shirt, then Sasuke's hand dragged upward, roughly, scraping the skin of her back. The shirt was pulled up, higher and higher to the lower angles of her shoulder blades.

Sakura closed her eyes, biting her plump bottom lip. "Wake up… wake up…" she dragged out hoarsely, shivering at the feel of his knuckles on her naked skin. The hand didn't stop. The shirt went up, exposing her shoulder blades. "Ah…" she whimpered against his lips. Unfortunately, she was not wearing her bra— discarded at the head of the bed— thus, her breasts was halfway exposed, her nipples at the verge of being divulged.

"…Sasuke… _ah!_ –sama…" she tried to free her elbow but his grip was like steel. Had not for her free arm, now pushing against the space next to his head to prevent herself from crushing Sasuke, she would have end up, smashing her mouth against his. However, her lips were closer to his now, their noses bumping. "…wake up… you're… having a night—" the hand on her back slid down to the side of her ribs. Now genuinely panicking, she whispered between clenched teeth, "you're having a nightmare, Sasuke-sama…-! Ahhnn—" Sasuke's hand pushed up at the shirt, letting her big breasts hung free, nipples exposed.

"What are you doing… on top of me,"

Sakura froze, her eyes snapping open.

"…Sakura?"

**69**

It was a nightmare at first. Blood, death, red walls, bloody tatami floors. The deserted Uchiha district. Chilly, emotionless red eyes. Red moon. Dead parents. A murderer. His brother.

"_Itachi!"_

He looked at him from the shadow, his red eyes glowing.

"_Why?"_

Grunt.

"_To measure my capacity,"_

A yardstick, he treated their parents, their clan as a yardstick.

To…measure my capacity.

That sick fuck.

_I will never forgive you._

And the scenes from his childhood tragedy unfolded again and again: a child screaming. Deserted streets. Empty home. A doomed family. They did not stop. The nightmares of his childhood never stop. His mind was getting sick from it— _why do you keep on reminiscing?_ The day when Itachi paid a visit in Konoha when they were twelve, attempting to kidnap Naruto. He saw him, felt the familiar spike of anger, hatred… frustration— _"WHY ARE YOU COMING AFTER THAT IDIOT?!_" Look at me, look for me. _"FIGHT ME!_"

Chidori— but the technique failed.

"_Your hatred… is not enough._"

Fuck off. His mind sneered, but the memories kept coming. It was a tedious endless cycle. He didn't know, but outside, his body showed strains from the constant barrage of painful, ugly memories.

"…haa— haa… haa! Haa—… haa—"

A distant voice in the shadows.

"…Sasuke-sama!"

Pause.

"Sasuke-sama… wake up!"

Something pressing on his chest and torso. A soft, feathery-light touch on his face.

Contact… is a delicious thing.

Something he deprived himself since that tragedy. Sure, there were few contacts from people— no, not people— mostly, it was Naruto. A playful punch, hard, angry punch in the face, a simple nudge. Hinata seldom initiate contact. He can tell she was intimidated, scared even. Instead, the shy girl chose to hang out with Naruto, or with Shino and Kiba. Contact from women was the rarest. At nineteen, there were various instances that had him see naked women. Of course, he was still a boy and hormones, being a boy, were still in play. When it comes to women, he was choosy. He preferred exotics (which were rare in Konoha) and preferably, they have to have green eyes to perk up his interest. Unfortunately, exotic beauties with green eyes were extremely rare or worst; they did not exist at all.

_(A soft voice from the distance)_

But … Sakura came. An exotic, erotic beauty. And she had green eyes. Perfect. But not really. If only she was born normal, with soul and all, she would have been perfect and Sasuke would be _more _than happy to jump her. But fate was playing tricks with him. _They, _the three ugly hags_, _gave him a dollie, too bad— it did not come with a soul.

So when he woke up, very disoriented, dazed, groggy, half-asleep, unaware…- with a body atop of him, warm, frail, with round heavy globes pressing on his chest, his body reacted. Eventually, his breathing stabilized which Sakura failed to notice since she was panicking (he can tell), whimpering as he pushed up her shirt. His gaze cleared but his eyes were still droopy. Amused, he watched her flushed face, whimpering against his mouth—

"…wake up… you're… having a night—"

He startled her with sliding his hand over the side of her ribs, his fingers almost touching the side of her breast.

"You're having a nightmare, Sasuke-sama…-! Ahhnn—"

He pushed her shirt higher, exposing her breasts.

_No. I'm not having a nightmare…_

Her low moan caused a stir, a painful clenching on his stomach. His expression flickered, his mouth going dry. Pressing his teeth together, heaving a silent sigh, he opened his mouth,

"What are you doing… on top of me,"

Sasuke felt her froze, her eyes snapping open.

"…Sakura?"

"Ah… Ah…- I… I…" her mouth opened and closed but no words rolled out.

"Speechless… very typical." He murmured. Her blush was redder than apples. Dark eyes stared up flatly, half-lidded.

"I… I…'m sorry…" she whispered. Her eyes were very wide; her expression was twisted in a mortified grimace.

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly. "Hn."

Ignoring their awkward position, Sakura launched into a fast explanation. "Ano… Sasuke-sama, you were breathing very hard— I was worried and… your breathing was very irregular… I didn't know what to do but—"

"…be quiet."

"Gomen ne… Sasuke-sama… I don't know what happened… why… why I- I- ended up on t-top o-of you… but it was an accident!"

"I don't care." His voice was hoarse from sleep.

Sakura bent her neck, dropping her face. Fine long pink strands fell around his face, making a pink curtain. His hand on her ribs slid off and took a fistful of pink thick hair, gathering thick strands into his hand. Sasuke dragged his fist to the back of her head, pulling back her head to lift her face.

"Sasuke-sama…" she murmured, her eyes wide and her mouth was slightly parted. "I'm so… sorry." She whispered softly, mortified.

Sasuke sighed deeply, closing his eyes. He turned his face away, releasing the knot of thick hair he gathered in his large hand. "Get off."

"Uh?"

His lids lifted slowly. His dark sensuous eyes looked at her form the corner of his heavy lids. "Get off. You're…" he shifted uncomfortably, swallowing slowly. "…heavy."

Sakura wrinkled her nose, letting the remark slide. "Oh? Y-yeah…" Giggling, she sat up quickly, pushing her shirt down as she did so. Under her, Sasuke stiffened, his eyes flying open as he felt a heavy pressure— _very_ good pressure on his groin. _What the FUCK?_ He thought fiercely. His jaw tightened, mouth going dry. Even his pants… Sasuke suppressed a painful groan. _Fuck._ She was sitting _on_ him, her long bare legs straddling his hips. Her shirt was halfway to her stomach, showing her flat soft abdomen and her panties as well.

Curiously, she looked up to him with wide-eyed innocence. "Is there something wrong?"

Sasuke wanted to punch himself. _Damn you._ "Get off… seriously." He said between clenched teeth, forcefully. Sakura shifted above him— he bit back a groan. Ah… friction was another delicious thing. Next to contact and little scarp of cloth called panties. He clenched his hands, clutching at the bed sheets. Fine sheet of sweat covered his face and arms as his legs twitched uncomfortably under her weight. If she moved again—

"Sasuke-sama," she moved _again­— oh god—_ buckling her hips. _Is she really an idiot?_ He snarled in his chaotic thoughts. _Can't she feel_ IT? He added in frustration, sweating profusely and gritting his teeth against his lip. Only her panties, his cotton pants and boxers were all that separated _them_ and it was fucking frustrating as hell— after all, he's still a boy and puberty was a bitch. Hormones were bitchier and Sasuke, being a late bloomer… well, he did not say he did not like this… But his erection was pressing against his crotch and it was _painful_, stiff and aching, pulsing like a livewire. His body felt so hot that it felt like his blood would dry out in his veins.

Before she could move again, Sasuke flexed his fingers over her hips bones and lifted her off him. His member twitched, punching at his pants. Carefully, he set her aside and got up immediately before she could catch a glimpse of his arousal. On his feet, facing his body away from her, he took deep inhales to calm his nerves.

_Shit. I'm shaking._

"Sasuke-sama, what—"

"Shut up." He snapped irately, his voice hoarse and scratchy. Grabbing a chunk of dark hair, he pulled at it roughly then massaged his nape deeply. His body was itchy under all the clothes (he normally slept naked). Frustrated, he stripped off his shirt and threw it across the room where his bag lay. He breathed deeply, letting the cold breeze cooled off his scorching body. He moved his legs slightly apart to let his erection breath but the thought of Sakura on her knees in front of him jacked up the temperature inside the room.

_Bitch._ He thought with a sneer, referring to his arousal. With a discreet glance, he saw Sakura looking up to him confusedly, her lips slightly parted. He growled deeply in his throat, shaking his head and scratching his hair. _Shower. That's it, a fucking shower in a middle of the night._ Grunting, he kicked off the covers and padded towards the washroom. He was on the doorway when he paused and spoke, "hey." He called, a hand resting on his hip. "Go back to sleep." He ordered, hooking his thumbs over the waistline of his pants.

"Where are you going?" There was a slight panic on her voice.

Sasuke side stepped until he saw her, still on his futon, looking confused and slightly terrified. "I'll be in the washroom. Go back to sleep."

She chewed on her lip, "…are you going to be okay?"

The boy ground his molars, his glare twitching. Thank god it was dark. His erection was making an enormous tent in his pants and embarrassingly, it was so damn obvious.

"Just… go back to sleep." Sasuke said, forcing his voice to be steady and not to wobble. _Damn… hormones._ He thought angrily. He went back to the washroom when Sakura finished climbing up back to her bed and arranging the sheets, standing in the doorway, scowling. He hit the light switch and disapprovingly looked down to his crotch.

"Jackass." He said quietly, dragging the corner of his pants down to his prominent hip bone as he walked inside.

In her bed, Sakura listened carefully as Sasuke closed the door behind him with a snap. Then, shower came down.

…_huh?_ Sakura frowned, _he's taking a shower in the middle of night?_

**70**

She looked up from zipping up her dress, her wet hair all over face when the door was unlocked. As the door swung open, Sasuke's hair gleamed in the light, dripping wet. Startled, Sakura stood up and approached him, "Sasuke-sama, where have you been?" she asked hurriedly, stopping in front of him. Looking up, she saw his face was covered in thin film of sweat, his shirt was damp in the chest area and he was softly breathing. "I… I was worried… I woke up and you're—"

He pushed back his bangs and wiped the beads of sweat rolling down his high nose with his forearm. "…knock it off." he said calmly. Sakura pressed her lips closed. Glancing up timidly, she saw him look at her once then narrowed his eyes as he walked past her. From the doorway, she watched him bend down and extract a towel from his backpack.

"…where did you go?" her voice was soft, dreamy… fluttering.

"Out."

A slice of silence— moving her eyebrows in an expression of confusion and apprehension, she said,

"You looked tired."

"Hn." He zipped his bag closed and stayed crouched. "I took a walk. Then ran." He stood up, pulled off his shirt and exhaled.

A look of genuine worry crossed Sakura's face. "Are you okay?"

"…yeah." He stretched his arms and neck, the muscles on his backs working, stretching. He looked even bigger when half-naked; his arms were thick, but not massive. He was broad-shouldered however, his waist was slender and for a guy, his skin was pale and… ridiculously smooth.

Curiously, she asked, "did you train?"

"Yeah."

"But…"

"I'm fine." He said, cutting her off. "I'll just take a shower and we will leave in 2 hours." He looked at her over his shoulder, his gaze was critical as he surveyed her. Her hair was ruffled and damp, curling around her shoulders. The red dress enhanced her peachy coloring and pink hair. Shaking his head, swinging the towel over his shoulder, he made his way to the washroom. "Get ready. I'll be out in fifteen minutes."

"…understood." Sakura nodded, watching him apprehensively. There was something off with him. He looked bad-tempered, his muscles tensed and his expression looked strained and annoyed. He stopped on his way to the washroom when they were shoulder to shoulder. He hesitated but with a sigh, he took her wrist and rubbed her skin with his thumb. Sakura stiffened at first, startled at his touch but eventually relaxed.

"…just—" he paused, his fingers squeezing the bones of her wrist gently. "Wait for me— outside, alright?"

Sakura looked at him— he did not look back, just staring straight ahead— and smiled. "Hai, Sasuke-sama." The boy briefly closed his eyes, released her hand and entered the washroom. She was still smiling when she reached for her open-toed boots, wore them and hopped outside the room. She was halfway down the stairs when she stopped. Her eyes popped out, wide and staring. The green of her eyes were glowing, iridescent like neon lights. Slowly, gold crept up around her eyes, mixing with swirling green color. Mechanically, Sakura cocked her head in peculiar hearing gesture. Her eyes pierced the walls.

_(quick, light footsteps— jumping, flying across the treetops… _Thunk. Thud- step step step step. Thud thud- thud-_ Shadows moving…)_

"…what— this aura is familiar…" her mind clicked.

_(more footsteps— _this aura… _sounds of weapons being drawn—)_

Sakura's eyes widened.

_THEY'RE HERE!!_

Panicked, she spun around and ran back to the room, shouting Sasuke's name. Impetuously, she hurled inside the washroom, startling Sasuke who almost had a momentary heart attack upon seeing her.

"What the _hell—_"

"SASUKE-SAMA!!" she yelled, running up to him. Color swept up to his face harshly. His head was yanked out of the shower as Sakura clutched at his forearms… standing so close… to him.

Seeing how close they were, Sasuke flinched. A delicious tingle was convulsing his spine, making him a little dizzy. Blood started to rush down to the area between his legs. The cold shower, all of a sudden was not so cold anymore. It was _fucking_ hot, burning his skin.

"…the hell are you doing, Sakura—"he growled between clenched teeth.

"They're coming!!"

_And damn you._

And he was naked.

The water rushing down to his heated body made him think of _her_ hands fluttering across his chest, abdomen and legs. The idiot did not seem to notice that he was goddamned naked; only the streams of water covered his large body.

"_Get the fuck out, Sakura—_" He was embarrassingly flustered, fighting the urge to cover himself in a stereotypical way. _This_ was the first time he was fucking naked in front of a female. If it was Naruto staring at him wide-eyed… the likelihood of having a hard-on was nil.

Unlike… _now._

However, Sakura must be _really, really_ an idiot. She even moved closer, her hands on his biceps as she looked up to him in panic. Sasuke grimaced painfully, slight panic contorting his face. "Do you mind…?" he started to say, glaring down at her from his height advantage under the thick chunk of wet hair on his forehead and eyes. Lifting one hand, he brushed the hair out of his eyes roughly. "Why don't you wait _OUTSIDE_…?"

"NO!" answered Sakura vehemently. Sasuke cringed. "In about…" she cocked her head in peculiar, listening gesture though Sasuke knew there was nothing to listen to. "…forty five minutes…" she continued frantically, moving closer, swallowing delicately. "They will arrive."

Inhaling deeply, controlling his temper, Sasuke pushed at her hands. "Just… wait outside." He hissed, his jaw clenching. The cords of his strong muscles popped out, his neck muscles straining.

"No, they're—"

"I'm _goddamned _naked!" he finally snapped. And he was glad he did. But when he discreetly looked _down_, his temper skyrocketed. _Damn you._

Sakura jerked.

"Oh…?"" she blinked. "That's okay…"

Sasuke twitched, gritting his teeth.

"Get out." He said between his teeth, rubbing his eyes.

"But—"

"Fuck." His hands shot out and grabbed at her shoulders. Roughly, he forced her to turn around. Under his hands, he felt her bones shift awkwardly under his force. He ground his molars, his eyebrows making a straight line above his eyes.

"Sasuke-sama… I'm—"

Grunting, he reached out and pressed his palm on her eyes. Sakura was startled at the touch of his wet hand.

"Wait outside." He ordered in a low calm voice.

"But… Sasuke-sama… they're nearer now."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "…_they_?"

"The people we met a few days ago… Do you remember?"

Dark eyes widened slightly. _…what?_

Sakura continued softly, "the people who attacked us."

His muscles tightened. _THOSE… ASSHOLES ARE HERE?_ His jaw moved, grinding his molars. "Shit." He tightened his hand on her face unconsciously. Enraged, he did not notice that he was pressing his cheek against her hair; his other hand had gripped her arm.

"…Sasuke-sama?"

He lowered his lids, pulling her closer to his naked body until her head was against his clavicle. Unnoticed by him, Sakura shivered at their closeness because of his wet body.

"Stay inside the room." Sasuke growled behind her ear. "Do not leave, do you understand?"

"Hai."

"Wait for me."

Sakura nodded.

"Go." Sasuke released her face and calmly pushed her towards the door. "And don't look back, idiot." He added irately when Sakura attempted to glance back.

Hurriedly, Sakura went out and closed the door behind her gently. She sighed deeply, leaning against the wall beside the door. She watched her feet anxiously, fingering the black armband on her right sleeve. Her head jerked to towards the direction of the windows. _They're nearer…_ She thought, _in 30 minutes…_ the washroom door swung open. Sasuke stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist, emphasizing the shapes of his firm buttocks. He went straight to his backpack and boldly dropped the towel to the floor. Sakura let out a soft gasp and looked away blushingly.

…_gah, I got dizzy for a moment._ She thought breathlessly.

"Did you pack your things?" came his low raspy voice.

"Ah… hai." Her hand dropped to her right thigh where her holster was attached.

"Good." Sasuke roughly stuffed his head through the neckline of his black shirt after wearing his boxers and loose pants. In fast but efficient movements, he gathered his supplies, wore the bandages supporting his arm and loaded his holster. He paused for a while, watching Sakura. A deep frown creased his forehead as Sakura shifted anxiously, her eyes squinting. His gaze went down to her hands; they were shaking. Pressing his teeth together, he bent down, fastened his sandals and picked the Kusanagi. He padded noiselessly towards the door to knock over Naruto and Kakashi's door but later retraced his steps, stopping in front of Sakura.

The girl looked up to him, confused.

Sasuke frowned heavily. "…what are you up to?"

Her eyebrows lowered in a questioning frown.

The boy decided to re-construct his question. "Are you okay?" His voice faltered towards the end of the sentence.

Sakura grinned. "Hai."

"Hn." He rubbed his hair, trying to dry the dark long locks. "You better be. I'm not going to glue you back in case you break into pieces." He added as he proceeded outside to knock loudly on the opposite door.

She laughed softly and followed him. The Uchia loudly knocked over the door. "Dobe!" No response. Sasuke knocked harder. "Wake the hell up, assholes."

The door opened, revealing a groggy Naruto. His wild hair was even wilder, sticking in every direction. He was half naked, wearing only a pair of repulsive orange boxers. "Wha—"he yawned widely, scratching his hair. "What do you want? You're goddamned early…"

"We're leaving."

Blue eyes snapped wider in disbelief. "Whaaaat? You're kidding, right?"

Sasuke lowered his eyelids. "Get ready. We're leaving." He stuffed his arms inside the sleeves of his black loose windbreaker, zipping it up between his collarbones. "In 45 minutes, the assholes that ambushed us back in the forest will be here."

Naruto raised a brow. "What?"

Sasuke narrowed his dark eyes behind his thick bangs. "Get your ass moving, dobe."

"But…"

Sakura chose the moment to interject, seeing how Sasuke's jaw muscles twitch in annoyance. "Naruto…" she began anxiously, "they're approaching…" her eyes moved to the side. "They're nearer— I can hear them… their chakras! They're nearer now… in 30 minutes—" she spun around, facing the walls as though she can see through it.

Naruto cursed, "fine! Fine!" he went back inside, leaving the door opened. "Oi, Kakashi-sensei, wake up! We have to go! Enemies approaching!"

"…hai, hai."

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING UP!" hollered Naruto.

"…hai, hai."

**71**

Mudo looked up, hearing footsteps thundering down the stairs. Curiously, he waited at the bottom of the stairs. The dark-haired shinobi, the boy with handsome face and pointy hair, came first, who went straight to the windows, looking sour-tempered as usual. Even with his displeased expression, the boy was a pretty face. No surprises there. After all, he was a well-bred Uchiha. The doomed family was gifted with superb genes. However, what they excel in looks, they lacked in attitudes. Most of them (mostly males…) were hot-blooded assholes. And arrogant bastards. Obviously, this descendant had it all: pretty genes, superb intellect.

And fucked-up arrogance. (must be the most arrogant of all… Mudo thought.)

Next was Sakura who wore an anxious expression. She looked prettier, even with her anxious face. The dark red of her dress enhanced the colors of her hair and green eyes. The dress was red with black trimmings and short skirt, exposing thin legs. The collar was high and opened. The shirt inside was white and opened-collared. It was long-sleeved this time, emphasizing her thin arms and wrists. A black armband was attached on her right upper arm with Uchiha fan emblem. Though she looked troubled, the doll managed to flash a small smile as thick hair fell around her face.

"Ohayo…"

Another set of heavy footsteps made Mudo looked up. Naruto came in view, disgruntled, his jacket opened. Mudo smirked, _he really looked a lot like his father. But in intellect and manners, definitely not Minato._ It was like looking at the Fourth in his teenage years. But the Fourth got decent fashion sense, unlike Naruto. Orange? No self-respecting shinobi would wear such color. His parents' good genes finally established themselves after nineteen years: the boy looked normal. In a fangrirl standard, he's _hot._ Too bad, he was mannerless.

Mudo noticed their loaded holsters and the way Uchiha held his katana. "Hey, you're all geared up." He remarked, watching Sasuke who belted the katana at the back.

"Mudo-san," Kakashi was the only person who looked calm, contrary to his companions. He did not thunder down the stairs. Unlike the two hot-tempered shinobi. No manners, really. "We—"

Sakura rushed to the windows beside Sasuke who looked at her, startled. "THEY'RE HERE!" she yelled. At the same time, four successive bombs exploded in the air. Massive air and noise pressures swept across the tiny village. Soon after, flames and smokes filled the air above the village, blocking the supposed to be clear morning sky. The peaceful cerulean morning became smoky and fire-filled.

"What happened?!" Inside the Mudo household, his wife and daughter were shaking.

Kakashi lowered his eyelid. "We were followed." He answered calmly.

Sakura's knuckles were white as she gripped the windowsill, her eyes searching— now a mixture of gold and green. "Two… no, four units were dispatched." She squinted, "they're everywhere… their chakra—"she paused. Her eyesight seemed to sharpen and zoom—

Before her eyes:

(a child ran and tripped. A shadow fell on him, a long bayonet-like kunai was drawn—)

Sakura paled. "N-nooo…" she turned away from the window. Before she could open the door, Sasuke was already gripping her arm. The bones underneath the skin shifted under the grip.

"Where are you going?" Uchiha was calm but Kakashi knew the boy. And that tone.

Sakura's eyes were large and staring as she lifted her chin. "I'm sorry… but—"

With a small pull, Sakura stumbled two steps forward. Sasuke pushed her to the side and drew the curtains roughly. "Stay the _fuck_ where you are."

"But—"

"Be quiet!" Sasuke snapped.

"Sasuke…" Kakashi called calmly, a hint of warning under the tone.

"Don't be stupid. You _are _their target!"

"I can take care of myself…"

"Shut up for _fuck's sake_." With his Sharingan, he scanned the street outside, drowning in sea of smokes and flames.

"What are we waiting for, teme?!" demanded Naruto, wincing at the sounds of shrill screams of women and children. "If you want to be a sissy and cry all day long, then—"

"Naruto." Kakashi's tolerant voice interrupted the hot-tempered blonde. "We need a plan. Recklessness will lead to more casualties."

"Sensei, we _don't _need a plan!" Naruto protested. "Let's just get outside and have fun!"

"For once, a stupid's idea is not so stupid after all."

Naruto snorted. "Cut the crap. Let's go!"

Sasuke briefly closed his eyes. "Hn."

"Sasuke-sama—"

The dark-haired shinobi lifted his lids slowly. "Stay here."

"WHAT?"

Sasuke shook his head, following Naruto at the door. "Stay out of sight."

"But—"

"You'll jut get into my way."

"I'm not—"

"Lift off."

"Sasuke-sama!!"

**72**

Thud.

Unsheathe.

A shadow stood behind the enemy ninja. Dark long bangs rippled in the breeze from his peripheral vision.

"Huh?"

Cold metal up against his neck.

"Fuck off, asshole."

Delicately, Sasuke slashed at the carotid artery. The enemy-nin crumpled in the ground noiselessly. The Uchiha unsheathed his katana and looked around. His stance was narrow, his weight resting on one foot. He kept his hand on the tip of hilt. A black hip holster with two strips of leather designed to hold katana was fastened around his hips.

_She's right. _He thought, lowering his lashes. _Four units were dispatched._ His hold on the hilt tightened. _Just to capture her… what is their objective?_

He crouched and dodged a kunai. Dark eyes narrowed. _Explosive tag!_ He quickly jumped back just as the tag exploded.

_Kuso._

"Konoha-nin."

The smoke thinned. A foot in black sandals stepped out from the haze. Sasuke watched sharply behind his thick bangs. In closer, undivided inspection, their pursuers were all clad in black nylon tights. Their masks were pure white with just two holes for the eyes. They did not have any distinct characteristics that separate them from each other. They all looked identical. Unlike ANBU masks, those masks were plain.

_Who are these people?_

"Please cooperate. Hand over the Project."

Sasuke's jaw twitched. He lowered his chin and narrowed his eyes. "What do you want from her? She's just a toy."

"Our objectives are none of your concern, shinobi." The enemy-nin raised his hand. "Surrender the Hei ko shi hen kei Product."

Uchiha smirked crookedly. "You wish."

"Secondary to your failure to cooperate, many civilians will die. We will tear this place apart to obtain the Project."

"I don't care…" Sasuke dragged out in a slow, low voice. "Tear it. Search. Destroy. But…" he slowly unsheathed the Kusanagi, lifted it and pointed it straight towards the enemy-nin. "…she will remain at _my_ side."

Sharingan swirled and filled his eyes.

"You are weak."

"…let's see about that." A pause, "Uchiha Sasuke."

The boy twitched but chose to remain silent.

"I really need exercise, Uchiha."

Sasuke's eyebrows made a thin line above his eyes. "I hate it when people bring up my family name." _Chi-chi-chi-chi-chi- _Electric current flowed out of his body, crackling, twisting blue current. The current traveled the length of the Kusanagi, giving off bright electric blue aura.

He lowered his knees.

"Even with males… I am popular."

**73**

"This… is…-" Sakura whispered breathlessly. "-ridiculous!" She winced and ducked her head as a body collided with the window, followed by a groan and a sound of a blade sinking to flesh. There was a pour of blood hitting the floor. _Thump._ Sakura lifted her head and peeked into the small gap between the window and the sill. She caught sight of Naruto's orange overalls and bottom view of his scowling face.

"Tch." The blonde shonobi roughly wipe the blood off his whiskered cheek. "Motherfucker." He spat and trotted off in almost lazy steps, casually powering up a Rasengan.

_He'll be alright._ She thought, glancing to the side, watching Kakashi made seals. _I can't see Sasuke-sama…_ Pink thin eyebrows furrowed in the middle, scanning the little she can see for Sasuke.

_Where are you?_—

"FUCK YOU ALL!!" Naruto roared, followed by a flash of blue, bodies colliding and sounds of blood dripping to the ground. There was another ear-splitting explosion, shaking the village, making cracks inside the house. Blinking, Sakura saw Kakashi leaping off and disappearing in the crowd through the smoke. Another explosion— a loud _whruuu-uppp _sound, accompanied with flames and earth, resounded, eliciting a small scream from Mudo's wife and daughter.

"Sakura…"

She turned her head to the voice. "Mudo-san…" She bit her lip and sighed deeply. She got to her knees and crawled towards the family. She tried to smile, which she did with a strain. "Mudo-san… Please, don't worry." She sat on her calves. "I will definitely protect you."

Mudo looked as if his age tripled.

"These people, they will never stop."

"…?"

"They wanted you."

Sakura's fists began to tremble. "Why me? What do they want from me? I'm just a toy."

"They will not stop. At all cost, they will never stop trying until they get their hands on you."

"But Mudo-san—"

The explosion was nearer this time. The house shook. His wife and daughter sobbed pitifully together. The explosion caused a small but firm earthquake. Sakura moved closer to Mudo, holding her hands out to them.

"The next explosion will hit this house, Mudo-san!"

"_What—"_

"We have to go, _now!_" Sakura grabbed Miya's wrist and forced her up. "I'll protect you! No matter what happens, I will do my best!" 15 seconds remaining— "Let's go, let's go!" She helped Mudo to his feet. "Please, Miya-chan, stop cry—"

Her eyes swirled into gold.

Stillness. Muteness. Everything seemed to go slow-mo.

Then.

_(-loud explosion-)_

The house collapsed into flames and splinters.

Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi turned to the look at the source of the huge explosion.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" shouted Naruto. "It's—"

"Mudo-san!" Kakashi dodged and ran towards the house.

Sasuke's eyes were wide and red. His first thought was—

_SAKURA!_

**74**

When they arrived in front of the flaming, collapsing house, the smoke was thicker and blacker. Fire engulfed the front yard, swallowing the second floor slowly until the entire wooden house collapsed.

_Thud._

The three Konoha-nin glared to the side where two enemy-nin appeared.

"Target eliminated. Signal lost."

"…"

"Affirmative, sir."

Naruto barred his teeth, his whiskers darker. His eyes were flickering from blue to orange. "_You sonofabitch…_"

"_Naruto watch you're doing!"_

Red chakra leaked out from every pore of his skin.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

"NARUTO STOP IT!"

Sasuke did not move. He stood, frozen, against the backdrop of flames and bodies. Beautiful, incredibly. His eyes wide, flat and cold.

"Sasuke-"

"_Sasuke-"_

"_Sasuke-"_

"_Sasuke-"_

"SASUKE!"

He blinked.

(_swoosh!_) (_fssshhh…)_

"…!!"

Five red, gaseous bat wings lifted into the air, towering over the blackened village with a shrill, cold roar. They looked up to the thin, iridescent wings, bending awkwardly, curling and lengthening. Another chilly, very shrill, high-pitched cry filled the air, causing a noise pressure that hurt and caused cuts among the shinobi. The wings continue to bend, _very_ slowly but in every movement, it caused immense air pressure.

_This chakra… it's unbelievable!_ Kakashi thought. _This rivaled even the Kyuubi!_

Naruto was studying the odd patterns of the iridescent wings, watching them bend softly, gently. _Boy…_ Kyuubi whispered. _That…chakra._ Naruto narrowed his eyes, still watching the patterns.

_What is it?_ He asked the tailed beast.

_(clucking) Unbelievable. It's the same as mine._

Naruto clenched his fists.

_But at the same time, entirely different! WHAT IS IT?!_ Kyuubi growled.

One wing bent backward until it was touching the treetops. In the process, the smoke scattered and thinned. As the smoke dissipated, the wings started to vanish, the odd patterns that Naruto was watching were _moving_, curling, twisting… _What was it? Those patterns…_ He ground his teeth. _Odd, but… _The patterns vanished as well as the wings.

"Sakura…-"Kakashi began.

Naruto lowered his gaze. A shield, 50 feet tall and 50 feet wide, making a perfect square of red square pixels, protected Sakura and Mudo's family. Sakura was facing away from them, her hands around Mudo's wife and daughter's wrists. The shield started to thin—

Sasuke stepped forward. "SAKURA!" he yelled. "Sakura—"

From his peripheral vision, he saw a flash of metal. He turned his head. The object was fast but his Sharingan identified it.

"Sakura—"

The girl turned her head. "Sa—"

_Fsssh. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk._

Sasuke's eyes widened. _WHAT THE HELL—_ at least a dozen long bayonet-shaped kunai pierced at her neck, chest, arms and legs. Two female screams filled the air. Punctured, blood pouring out of her small body, Sakura remained standing. Her eyes were wide, gold and staring.

_(rapid heartbeat)_

Sakura looked down to the blades protruding her flesh. "B-blood…" she whispered brokenly, her eyes larger and filling her face. There was a wild look in her eyes, staring at the puddle of blood forming at her feet.

"B…B…B-blo…od…-"

"SAKURA-_CHAAAAAAAAAN_!!" screamed Naruto, horrified. He kept screaming her name at the top of his tired lungs.

Thick blood drops fell to the ground.

"Haa… haa… haa—"

The two females in front of Sakura were sobbing loudly.

"B…B…l…oo…d—"Sakura murmured first before collapsing forward. Mudo and his wife and daughter jumped back as Sakura's mutilated body fell facedown.

"_SAKURA-CHAAAAAAAN! SAKURA-CHAAAAAAAN— _YOU MOTHERFUCKERS! I'LL—"Naruto moved forward but in a blur of fast movement, an enemy ninja appeared in front of the blonde boy. Eyes with cat-like slits widened— a forearm came from the side. Naruto growled, barring his fangs, raising his arm to block the attack. The force of the blow hit his forearm, sending him reeling back to his previous location. _"SHIT."_ He swore viciously. "You fucking shithead!" He tried again, red chakra surrounding his body.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!" Naruto hollered.

Kakashi glanced to his right. _Sasuke—_ he moved fast. Crouching, he spin-kicked a black ninja who attempted to attack a shocked Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" bellowed Kakashi. "SASUKE!" The boy turned cold, wide, staring red eyes to Kakashi. "Move. She… needs our help. Sasuke…" the silver-haired Jounin watched as black wheels swirled dangerously. "Sasuke—"

_Chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-_

Electricity came out of Sasuke's body. "I know what to do." He side-stepped Kakashi but his steps faltered. "Mudo—" Sasuke started to run. "MUDO!"

**75**

_Shit! They tricked us! They distracted us to make direct assault on MUDO!_ Sasuke thought. "MUDO!"

"Don't come any closer." A voice said.

"Fuck you!" Sasuke roared a, produced a kunai and slashed to his left. "CHIDORI!"

Flashes of blue sparks.

_(footsteps_

_step_

_step_

_step_

_step)_

"Mudo. Mudo Juiichiro."

The said person looked up to the curt voice.

"I didn't know you are here." The footsteps stopped at Sakura's head. Mudo tightened his hold, shoving his wife and daughter behind him. The white plain mask stood out in the black and red background. Briefly, he glanced down at Sakura's fallen body. "I'll be generous, Mudo. You can keep the body as a souvenir. But the head is ours."

Mudo's eyes widened. The man in white mask turned his face back to him. "You've aged well, Mudo. With a loving family. Impressive."

"…"

"…after all you have done. Your luck did not run out."

"It is _not_ luck." Mudo snapped. "You got it backwards. It is a _choice_. Have you ever heard of it?"

"Smart." The enemy twirled a long-handled kunai expertly in his right hand. "After…this _thing_," he paused. "The product of your intelligence, of your pursuit to act like the gods, after that experiment, you managed to live long and well, Mudo."

"Because I chose to."

"You don't have a choice."

"…--?"

"You only have death."

"MUDO!" It was Sasuke's warning. "_Behind you!"_

Blur.

"_Mudo!"_

Slash. Slash.

Sound of pouring blood. And _thud, plop._ Mudo spun around wildly, his face was white, his eyes were wide that they almost popped out.

"_AYAME! MIYA!"_

Mudo's high-pitched grief-stricken shout brought Naruto and Kakashi's heads around.

"NOOOOOOOO…_OOOOOOO_!!"

"_AYAME! MIYA!"_

"_AYAME! MIYA!"_

"_AYAME! MIYA!"_

"Mudo-san." Cool, unfeeling voice interrupted Mudo's screams. "I apologized. Old habits don't die easily."

Thick blood dripped from the kunai's tip.

"I have always preferred decapitation."

Sticky silence. Except for the fleeing footsteps, female screams, children crying.

"Again, I'll be kind. You can keep their bodies and heads. I have no use for them."

Footsteps walked away.

Mudo fell on his knees.

And screamed.

And screamed. Screamed. Screamed.

**76**

Green eyes snapped open.

"Mudo-san."

That was when the trees began to smolder.


	11. A shining world

--

**R**

**A**

**G **

**D**

**O**

**L**

**L **

**S**

**A**

**K**

**U**

**R**

**A**

_Hikari kagayaku sekai wo_

**77**

He kept screaming until his voice was hoarse and dry. His throat hurt as if someone was running a rake of pin prick over his throat. As Mudo screamed out his remorse, with such dismay and horror, Sasuke felt a build up of energy— immense, like a huge blanket of crackling, compressive energy— falling over the village. The temperature skyrocketed several degrees. Small red beads of energy rose in the air, visible to the eye— swirling, popping beads that scraped at his skin. It was painful, making him wince uncharacteristically.

"Damn it…"

_Sakura._

The memory came back. Her big soulful eyes, the blood running down her front. Her blank gaze. Her small body punctured with dozen knives.

He ground his molars as he closed his eyes. _Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT!_

Sasuke growled a vicious curse, snapped his blazing red eyes open and dashed towards the direction where he last saw Sakura.

_I don't care… I… I will—_

The tree tops began to smolder. "What—"

Mudo wasn't screaming anymore. But someone else began to scream.

"_UAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—"_

**78**

Mudo-san. Mudo-san! _MUDO-SAN!_

(his screams died into small whimpering sobs. His arms cradled two decapitated heads.)

Mudo-san. Mudo-san.

(blood, thicker than anything else, covered his front and a small pool of it had gathered beneath him.)

Mudo…-san.

(it was… a very soft voice. Fluttery, small… innocent.)

What…happened?

(he rocked back and forth, sobbing.)

What happened? Please tell me what happened what happened _what happened Mudo-san Mudo-san MUDO-SAN!_

(silence)

(silence)

(stillness, the world seemed to pause for a second)

Miya…-chan? Where's Miya-chan, Mudo-san? Your wife… where is she?

(he rocked back and forth)

…please tell me they're alright… tell me they are alright… _TELL ME!_

(it was a scream this time.)

(he did not have to _tell her)_

(because she knew. It was one of her abilities. To know death.)

…no

no

no

no

no

no

no

(the world was shining)

…blood— there is so much blood…

(the world was weeping)

-so much blood… blood blood _blood_… am I bleeding? No no no no. I'm not… why is there so much blood, Mudo-san… why why why are you crying… why are you bleeding… why why why AND WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING IN YOUR ARMS?

(silence)

(silence)

Carrot-colored hair. Red hair.

(the world was shining)

No… please. Please. Tell me they're alright. Tell me, tell me THEY'RE ALRIGHT tell me, _please!_

(it was…weeping, weeping, weeping—)

_why are you crying?_

(the world wept)

"Sakura…"

(Mudo was speaking.)

"Sakura. Sakura…-"

(the world wept harder…)

"SAKURA!"

-silence-

"SAKURA, DON'T—"

"_UAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH—"_

**79**

It was a shining world.

Mudo was tossed aside as something gold and red, a swirling, twisting mass of energy exploded.

"_SAKURA!"_

Several feet away, Sasuke's head snapped. _Sakura?_ He looked up. _What the hell… this CHAKRA!_ Sasuke shielded his eyes and felt air pressure pushed him back. He dug his heels, skewering the ground with Kusanagi as an added support as more vicious air and noise pressure pushed at him. Around him, the world shone with eeriness.

Of golden red.

Blood.

"Sakura! _STOP IT!!_"

Hearing her name, Sasuke fought hard against the pressure. His effort made wild crackling lightning around him, neutralizing the air pressure and beads of chakra that gathered in the air. _This is like… Kyuubi's chakra. It melts._

"SAKURA!!"

…_she's alive? But—_ how?

"STOP IT!"

Mudo was screaming.

"Fuck." He yanked the Kusanagi, gritted his teeth and turned on his Sharingan. _Chidori Nagashi!_ More electricity came out form his body.

"PUSH IT TOWARD THE SKY!"

Someone grabbed at Mudo's arm. The man looked around. One of the goddamned fuckers. "Let go!" he screamed vehemently, struggling. He turned back to the swirling ball of fire. The little girl was screaming with such despair that Mudo feared her mind had cracked. With trembling hand, she reached back, grasped the end of the bayonet that pierced her body. With a wet punching sound, she yanked the blade off, a flow of deep red blood followed.

"…Sa…kura—"

House after house exploded, sending orange fireworks in the air.

"STOP IT!" Struggle. "Let me go, asshole!" More struggle. More fire.

"SAKURA!"

"_UWAAAAAAAAAAAA~"_

More houses exploded. Trenches of fire, taller than trees, zigzagged across the village, the forests, the people.

"Let me go…-"

"_**UWAAAAAAAAAAAA~"**_

"SAKURA!"

_Slash._

"Arghh—" Thud.

"Huh?" Mudo looked around. "…Uchiha…?"

"Mudo!" growled Sasuke. "What the fuck were you screaming about?"

"Sakura…"

"But she's…dead…" his voice trailed off, his eyes staring, widening as his gaze located Sakura's bleeding and burning body. "Sakura…?"

"…the Project… It has— _she_ has regeneration ability. This ability… it's like rapid cell regeneration." Mudo explained, wincing as he watched Sakura removed the blades embedded on her.

"…regeneration?" _Like Naruto?_

"Hai. The ability to heal itself. High physical durability. The Project…" He paused with drooped shoulders. "…Hei ko shi hen kei is the greatest weapon ever made."

Sasuke clenched his jaw. "Sakura…is _not_ a weapon."

"_UWAAAAAAAAAAAA~"_

"It hurts."

Mudo stared.

"It_ hurts_."

"Uchiha…"

"_She's in pain, asshole!"_

Sasuke snarled, his eyes flashing in hatred. Sheathing his sword, he started to approach Sakura.

"Uchiha!"

"Fuck your fear! She's…" he pressed his teeth together, ignoring the build up of heat and fire. Under his lashes, he glanced at Sakura who whimpered, struggling with the blades on her body. She was bleeding… _bleeding blood._ How could she bleed? She's a goddamned _object._ A thing. Object. Something, not _someone._

But… _IT HURTS!_

Project Sakura seemed to scream. Her eyes… gold and gleaming— _it hurts… it hurts… MAKE THE PAIN GO AWAY!_

Black blurs appeared, surrounding the Project Sakura. Beside him, Mudo gasped. "They're here!" The masked ninjas paid them no attention, lifting their bayonets.

"Simultaneously."

"Roger."

Mudo's eyes grew wide in realization. "DON'T!"

"Wha—"Before Sasuke could move, bayonets soared in the air, aiming at Sakura's bloodied form.

"_WHAT THE HELL?_"

But before the blades could embed themselves in Sakura's flesh, the power leapt crazily out of her, pulverizing the blades into metal dust. The ninjas tensed, drawing sets of kunai in each hand and other blades.

"Stop it! Stop attacking her! YOU'RE PROVOKING HER!" Mudo shouted over the screams but they ignored his warning and proceeded. "IT'S SUICIDE YOU ASSHOLES!"

And he was _so_ right.

**80**

"Alright…" Naruto looked up as scorched treetops fell. "Damn it!" He leapt in the air and swooped down to grab a young girl away from harm's way as the treetops crashed down. _This is hopeless!_ A sound— like of a roaring wind, a crackling thunder— rose in the air. Curiously, Naruto looked up and his jaw dropped in astonishment.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?"

**81**

A giant hand made of fire rose in the air with a massive black eye on its palm, decorated lavishly with thick long lashes.

"What the _hell_…"

The giant fiery fingers uncurled, twisting and enlarging before shooting down to the ground where the ninjas stood and where the villagers flee.

Mudo stepped forward, pale and terrified, his eyes bulging out. "STOP IT! _PROJECT SAKURA!_"

Instead of heeding Mudo's request, the hand multiplied into three other hands… then to more fiery gigantic hands with roars of wind and vicious air pressure. More gigantic eyes appeared, covering the fiery hands inside out.

"…what the _hell_?" murmured Sasuke, astonished at Sakura's display of power. The chakra she emitted was _hideous._ A power so terrifying that Sasuke felt the world was weeping. Such small body… where could her body possibly hide those powers? She was tiny, _so_ frail. But looks… really were deceiving. Sakura was crouching on the ground. Below her was a pool of blood. Her eyes were shining pure gold, her wounds… closing up, healing… regenerating. Pink tendrils whipped around her as vast amounts of energy surrounded her.

"**UAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~"**

The ground gave a loud deafening crack and boulders came out. Mudo was screaming.

"STOP STOP— _STOP!"_

The fire was spreading across the forest until the whole small village was engulfed in fire. Naruto and Kakashi landed on either side of Sasuke.

"What the fuck was that?!" demanded Naruto. "Everything was burning!'

"STOP!"

And Sakura kept screaming. The gigantic 'hands' zigzagged, twisted, burning everything it came across with. Pitiless. Like a monster, a genuine article.

"She's a… **monster**!!!" a scream. "MONSTER!" The voice kept screaming until fire gnawed at the skin and he was no longer a man but a burning scarecrow.

"Mudo-san," Kakashi began, "is there any way to pacify her?"

"…she was provoked." Mudo replied wearily, watching Sakura scream. "The Project Parallelogram… the Project is terrified of blood."

The three male ninjas gaped. "…blood?"

"Hai. It was unexplained but Parallelogram Projects display extreme anxiety which leads to violence and loss of control when they see and smell blood. They go mad. They go into killing spree. They… self-destruct." Mudo continued. "Her powers are so _vast_ that a restriction system was established but…only a Haruno descendant can have such restriction system on the Project Sakura."

"At this rate…" Kakashi's voice trailed off, wincing as the wind cut at his skin. _Chakra… so much chakra in the air. Sooner, this power will rip the world apart._

"…yes! That's why she must be stopped!" Mudo exclaimed. "Or else… fire will fill this world!"

"…tch." Sasuke sneered. "What an annoying pest."

"Teme!"

"Shut up." Sasuke snapped, stepping towards Sakura.

"Where are you going?! She'll—"

"I said, shut up."

"But—"

"We have to try, damn it!" With that, Sasuke walked faster, approaching Sakura who was twisting, surrounded with a thin film of red chakra. _You really are annoying._ Electricity burst in his hand. With a sharp jerk of his wrist, he cut through the thin barrier. He felt his nape hair stood up in a shiver— _what an impressive amount of chakra—_ it was literally burning. His nose hairs were crisping.

"Sakura."

She screamed. From his distance, he can see her slender neck, veins popping out as she screamed. The pressure around her was preventing him from moving closer but he did not yield. He pressed on.

Cuts appeared on his pale face, on his arms and legs. Sasuke extended an arm, reaching for her. _What will happen if I touch her? Will I burn?_— but he did not hesitate, he grabbed her arm— she's…

…_cold?_

It must be the lost of blood.

"Sakura!"

She was not crying— of course, she's a _doll._ But she kept screaming and screaming and screaming.

"Sakura!"

Sasuke bent down and took hold of her shoulders. "Snap out of it!" She stopped screaming and when her golden eyes focused on him, Sasuke felt his skin crawl.

"…who…?"

Her voice was so small. So ironic… so small and yet she was burning the world.

"Snap out of it, Sakura."

_It's so fucking hot._

The haze was starting to thicken. Another gigantic hand was forming in the sky. "Wake up, Sakura!"

"I…" Pause. A shiver. Temperature rose. Sasuke felt it. His bangs were crisping; his fine hairs on his arms were standing up, shivering with a small sound like of sizzling eggs. Then— "_GET AWAY FROM ME!_" A force hit him squarely on the chest but Sasuke held on, gripping her shoulders.

"Damn it, _Sakura!_" He snapped, wincing. It fucking_ hurt._ Then a feeling of being enclosed in a capsule of heat engulfed him. The sound of sizzling eggs grew louder. His hair was—

"YOU'RE ANNOYING!"

Gold eyes blinked.

…

…

_-you're annoying!-_

_-don't be stupid. You are their target!-_

_-you'll jut get into my way-_

…

…

Slowly, the gigantic hands made of fire shrunk until they were formless.

"Hey! They're disappearing!" Naruto said, pointing. The haze was clearing but the flames were still there, whipping, dancing.

"…Sa…"

Sasuke's grip tightened.

"Sakura, are you—"

The gold eyes disappeared, replaced by green, innocent orbs.

"…Sasuke-sama?"

The feeling of enclosed heat disappeared instantly.

**82**

"Sakura!" he moved closer, cradling her shoulders. "What the fuck—" her eyes were gold again. "Sakura—"

Around them, the fire slowly shrunk into tiny flickering flames, then dissipated into smokes. Astonished, the males looked around, watching as flames shrunk into smokes until the red colors were gone, only the dark, blackened remains of the forest, village and… humans were in sight.

Sasuke looked back to Sakura. "Hey…"

She was panting, her skin was very pale and cold. She had her eyes closed, her eyebrows scrunched in the middle as she panted. Grimly, Sasuke forced her to her back, cradling her body in one arm. With his free hand, he flattened his palm on her chest and ripped her ripped clothes open. The holes made by the bayonets were gone. Her flesh was scar-free, smooth and pale. Frowning heavily, he massaged her skin, running his hand over her breasts, stomach and back again to her collarbones.

_As if nothing pierced her._ He thought, gazing at her body. Even her legs, long and sexy, did not bear any scars or indication that they were pierced to pieces by bayonets. Realizing that he was _almost_ groping her (he blushed terribly at this), he transferred his hand on her face. Thankfully, her face was unharmed. Muttering how annoying she was, Sasuke rubbed her cheek, his thumb on her cheekbone.

Her eyelids fluttered.

"…Sa…Sasuke-sama…?" she whispered.

"Hn."

"…I—" her eyes were clouding over. "…I'm sorry. I didn't…" She blinked. "…mean to. They… they _killed—_"

"Sasuke-teme! Sakura-chan!" Heavy footfalls fell beside Sasuke. "Sakura-chan!?" Naruto bent down. "Are you… she's alive? Where are your wounds? And there is…so much…blood."

At the word 'blood', Sakura winced and snuggled closer to Sasuke's chest.

"Idiot." Sasuke grunted.

"And your blouse is open, Sakura-chan."

_Smack!_

"Oww!!"

"Pervert." Sasuke sneered, closing Sakura's blouse. He slid an arm under her knees and effortlessly lifted her up. Her breathing was even, indicating that she had fallen asleep. Naruto stood up too and they looked around at the macabre remains of the village.

A while ago, the world was shining. A burning world. Red and weeping. But now, it became a cemetery of black, scorched corpses of men, women and children. There were few survivors and Sasuke counted them as nine. He glanced down to the bundle in his arms. So small, so fragile, so beautiful. Was this the extent of her abilities? No. There must be more, more, _more_ power inside that body. She will burn the world down.

_I must be careful._

"Sasuke."

The boy turned to Naruto curiously.

Blue eyes stared at him.

"Do you think…" he cleared his throat. "…something like this will happen to Konoha?"

Sasuke raised a brow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Naruto lowered his eyes. "…if she lost control again, something like this—"his eyes scanned the surrounding, "might happen."

Unconsciously, his arms around Sakura tightened.

"No."

The blonde frowned.

"I trust her."

Naruto's face softened as he gazed at Sakura's pink head.

"I trust Sakura."

"…"

"It's complicated but—" Sasuke's face darkened. "I trust her. Like the way she trust me."

Sasuke looked down to her sleeping face. "You said it yourself: don't treat her as if she's an exploding tag. And I don't." Dark eyes met blue.

Sasuke spun around and walked away.

**83**

Voices.

Muffled.

Then, there were screams.

And smell of burning flesh.

_AHHHHHHHHH—_

And blood.

So much blood.

_STOP IT!_

Green eyes snapped open.

_What happened?_

She smelt something burning. And the sky was covered with smoke.

_Smoke. Burning._

Sakura sat up quickly.

"Sasuke-sama!" she called out in panic, struggling to get up.

"Sakura."

Her head whipped around at the direction of the voice. Her eyes were wide. "Sasuke…sama." The tall thin boy approached her, carrying a bag. There was a band-aid across his cheek. He crouched in front of her, rummaging inside the bag.

"Here." Sasuke handed her a new pair of clothes. "It's not your size but this will suffice for awhile."

She did not take the clothes. "What happened… to Mudo-san?" she asked instead, gazing at him, wide-eyed.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "He's fine. Coping."

"…and the village?"

He did not reply. He pushed the clothes toward her.

"Take the clothes and change. Your dress is full of holes."

Sakura looked up to the blackened sky. "Sasuke-sama—"

"It's not your fault."

"No!" she replied vehemently and stood up, running towards the clearing.

"Sakura!"

She ran until she reached the clearing. "Oh…god." She whispered, horrified, her hands on her face, her eyes as large as plates.

"Oh…_god._"

Black. Dust. Ashes.

"No… no…" she whimpered.

Ashes. Burnt flesh. Burnt bones. The village. Burnt village. _She killed people._ She burned the village down.

_No… no… no… NO!_

Weakly, with trembling legs, she fell on her knees and hands, her palms flat on the ground. She was shaking. Oh god, she was _shaking, trembling._

_What have I done?_

Soft footsteps.

"Sakura…"

"I burned them."

Silence.

"I burned the village. I killed people."

"…it's part of our job. To kill."

"They're _villagers!_" she shrieked, turning her face to look at his passive form. "They're…innocent and I…" her face contorted and for a moment, Sasuke thought she'll cry but she faced the ground again. Her fingers fisted on the dirt. "… but… it's blurry. I…"

"…"

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

"Sakura, get up."

"…it's my fault. I killed people. I KILLED—"she bit her lip. Her body was shaking, her insides were twisting, coiling. It was painful. Sakura moved back, sitting on her claves as she wrapped her arms around her body. She rocked back and forth, like a child scolded by her mother.

Beside her, Sasuke looked around the blackened remnants of the small village. Naruto, Kakashi and Mudo were digging graves in different locations. The survivors huddled in a corner, sobbing, confused at the fate of their village. With a frown, he glanced down at Sakura, her hands on her face. She was shivering, like leaf against a cruel breeze.

With a sigh, he approached her, standing beside her hunched form. Dark eyes watched as locks of pink hair, dirty and dry covered her face. He bit the inside of his lips. A look crossed his face but he shook his head and placed a hand on top of her head.

"Sakura."

She kept quiet.

"It's not your fault."

Silence.

His frown deepened. He lowered himself beside her. "Sakura."

"Am I monster?"

Sasuke's dark eyes widened at her question. Then, he scowled darkly. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snapped and with his other hand, he yanked her hands off her face, grabbed the side on her head and forced her to look at him. He froze for awhile, his expression stilling. After a few seconds, a grim look replaced his expression as his grip on her face tightened.

"…don't say that." He said in a tight voice.

Her lips were quivering. If she was _normal_ and human, Sasuke would have thought she'll cry.

"…it's not your fault."

"You keep…saying that."

He snorted. "It's the truth."

Her eyes looked away. "…if only… if only I was strong enough." Sasuke lifted a brow at this— _are you shitting me?_ Strong enough? She was goddamned too strong!

"I would have…" she closed her eyes. "I would be able to protect Mudo-san's family." The hand on top of her head slid down to cup the side of her skull. "…they don't deserve it… they…" she bowed her head.

"Sakura…"

"And I almost burned you up!" Sakura shook her head. Sasuke involuntarily shuddered at as he remembered the _feeling._ "I'm…despicable!"

"Shut up."

"I'm a monster—"

His hand slid to the back of her head and without thinking, Sasuke brought her to his chest.

"That's enough."

"Sasuke-sama…"

"…you cannot alter the past. The best you could do is to protect the future."

Green eyes widened, long lashes brushing against his shirt.

"Don't be a loser. Pick yourself up because no one's going to do it for you." his fingers tightened on her hair. "If there is something you must do, look forward."

Small hands clenched into fists.

"Sasuke-sama…"

"…?"

"…I'd do anything for you."

This time, dark eyes widened in surprise. He moved back, looking down to her bowed body.

"…I will do anything… _anything_ for you."

"Sakura—"

"I will protect you." Her voice was small, like fluttering butterflies. Sasuke almost jumped when she gripped his arm. She was…warm. "I will protect Sasuke-sama. I will, no matter what happens." Her teeth dug into her bottom lip. "This time… I will not fail!"

The Uchiha looked away. "I don't need to be protected…" he grunted, scratching his hair to hide his discomfort.

"I will live for Sasuke-sama and for Sasuke-sama alone. I will live for you, kill for you. Burn the world for you… Rip the world for you. Make the world weep for you."

_Sakura…_

She slowly lifted her gaze to him. Her eyes glowed softly, her expression serene, incredibly calm. Even though her words were enough to make an ordinary man shiver.

"Sasuke-sama…"

Uchiha clenched his jaw. Big hands gripped at her arms. Without difficulty, he hoisted her up to her feet.

"I don't need you…to do those things for me."

"…"

"If there is something I must do, I will do it myself."

He released her arms.

"Get dressed." Sasuke turned his back on her and went to Naruto.

-

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-

Note: Er, I'm back? (grins) sorry for the long wait! I'm back from my self-dug grave. Thanks for reading.


	12. I will find you

**R**

**A**

**G **

**D**

**O**

**L**

**L **

**S**

**A**

**K**

**U**

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**A**

--

_Kimi wo mitsuke dasu_

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**84**

"Welcome home!" a voice shyly exclaimed.

Sakura looked up. "Oh." She blinked and grinned. "Hinata!" she waved happily and ran toward the giant gates where the shy girl stood, waving a hand timidly.

Hinata smiled graciously, the Miss Prim and Proper smile. "I'm glad you're uninjured." Sakura blinked, her expression freezing. _Uninjured._ Sasuke noticed how Sakura's shoulders tensed up.

"Oi, Hinata!" Naruto shouted, cutting through Sakura and Hinata's exchange, waving frantically (using both arms). Somehow, Sasuke was grateful for the interruption. A little. Just… a _little._ "We're baaaaack!" Sasuke hoped the stupid's stupid grin would split the stupid's stupid face into stupid halves. Of course, Hinata— being _Hinata-_ blushed like crazy and Naruto— being _Naruto_— grinned even more (blissfully oblivious or blissfully ignorant) and Hinata— _again, being HINATA_— fainted.

"HINATA!" Sakura and Naruto yelled together.

_Hn._ Sasuke thought blankly, watching behind Sakura.

"Eh? Gyahhh! _UZUMAKI!_ You idiot!" Came another shout.

"Oy, Kiba! Looking more and more like a dog!" Naruto countered, grinning widely. Akamaru who had grew up wildly and alarmingly into a miniature dinosaur barked like crazy.

"What did you do to her!?" Kiba shouted that made Sakura winced. Akamaru had stopped barking and was gazing at Sakura through the black slits. The dog looked almost humane with its grinning mouth and crinkled eyes that Sakura felt obliged to smile back.

"I DID NOTHING!" screamed Naruto.

"NOTHING? THEN TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING ON THE GROUND?"

"SHE'S SLEEPING, YOU DOGSHIT!"

Sakura blinked, staring at Naruto with wide confused eyes.

Shaking his head, Sasuke decided to intervene. The exchange of pleasantries will take longer than necessary. "Stop it, both of you." The dark-haired boy snapped, grabbing Sakura's elbow and telling her to move. "You really are idiots." He added, frowning at Naruto and Kiba.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"SHADDDUUPPP!"

Unimpressed, Sasuke yanked Naruto by the ear. "Let's go. You're wasting our time."

"LET GO OF MY EAR, BASTARD!"

"HINATA!" – Kiba (screaming)

"_BASTARD!_" –Naruto (screaming)

"WAKE UP, DAMN IT!"

Dark eyes regarded the blonde under his lashes arrogantly. "…be quiet, idiot."

"I'M NOT AN IDIOT!"

Sasuke snorted, shoving Naruto (by the ear) forward. "…very well said." He sneered. The blonde retaliated by kicking Sasuke in the calf. Uchiha growled and kicked Naruto in the backside. The exchange of blows lasted until Kakashi hit Naruto on top of his blonde head and Sasuke at the back of his head with his orange book.

"…of Jounin ranks and you two behaved like children." The man said smoothly, almost amused. The two younger males snorted and shot glares at each other before Naruto ran ahead to walk beside Sakura.

Mudo looked up to Kakashi. "…was that normal?"

Kakashi smiled, his eye crinkling. "…hai. Their immaturity is a familiarity. Somehow, it comforts me."

**85**

Shizune opened the door for them. "Welcome back, Team Seven!" she exclaimed. "The Hokage is waiting for you."

Naruto made a face, muttering "boring old hag," to which he received a slap at the back of his head. A loud "what was that for!" was heard –_loud, annoying screech_- that made Tsunade twitch.

"OI, IDIOT PIPE DOWN!" the lady Hokage screamed, throwing a stapler that hit its mark: the space between Naruto's eyes. The blonde let out an agonized scream that scared birds out of their nests.

Tsunade raised a brow. "Who's the stranger?"

"Mudo Juiichiro." It was Kakashi who answered. "You heard of him, right?"

"Of course. His surname's all over the history books. And the person who will lead us to the scroll," the woman replied with a shrug. "Anyway," her gaze found Sakura. "So," the woman lifted a brow, leaning forward to her table. "…you burned down a village, Sakura."

The council members tensed up.

Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi remained quiet, watching the council under their lashes. An elder man exchanged glances with his female neighbor who narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Sakura who stiffened under Tsunade's sharp gaze. Discreetly, Mudo looked over his shoulder, seeing odd pair of golden green eyes— _those luminous, gold green eyes, _he looked forward. _Truly, those bastards made one extravagant piece of doll._ _A doomsday weapon who can destroy a country effortlessly._

"I…" Sakura bit her lip, her hands fisting on her skirt. She took a side glance at Sasuke who was –_now-_ scowling at the council. She looked back to Tsunade. "…it was—"

With a worried frown, Naruto glanced at Sakura who looked _so_ small in her oversized long sleeved shirt. She had to roll the sleeves up to her elbows to free and use her hands. The jumper which Naruto himself found in a dump was huge. The girl looked pathetic. Which made bullying so damned easy.

"Tsunade-bachan—"

"That's what you wrote in your report." Tsunade said coolly. "I'm merely quoting it."

Naruto bit his lip in annoyance. "It does not mean she did it on _purpose_." He sneered.

"Didn't she?" the elder woman who previously exchanged looks with an elder man, asked coldly.

Naruto twitched, his eyes dark blue with anger. "What's that supposed to mean, you old fuck!" he sneered, fisting a hand.

Kakashi sighed at his teammate's words. Naruto's language had _always_ been vulgar. But Kakashi attributed it with Naruto's constant rubbing of elbows with Uchiha. That hostile, ridiculously good-looking Uchiha's bad habits were contagious. Or maybe, Naruto was demonstrating a terrible imitation of Sasuke.

Kakashi sighed, "…Hokage-sama, I—"

"Watch your language, subordinate!" the elder man scolded, interrupting Kakashi.

How awful. The Elder was spitting.

"This matter is not something to be taken lightly! That _object_—" the Elder whipped a finger and pointed at Sakura who jerked. (Naruto bristled at this, at the word _object_, his teeth showing as he barred his teeth) "—is _dangerous!_ Uncontrollable! Despicable piece of _crap _and metal_._ Sooner or later, Leaf would crumble into ashes because we put our trust on _something_ that we do not know where it keeps its brain! I suggest elimi—"

"That's enough, elder." Tsunade interrupted. "Naruto, I suggest you control your temper. You're in the presence of the Council."

The blonde ninja snorted, unimpressed as he snarled, "fuck that _council_ crap shit." Beside him, Uchiha smirked, his heavy lids covering his dark luminous eyes. "I wont let any of you _bully_ Sakura-chan! You weren't _there_! Don't make shitty remarks about her because you don't fucking know her like the way we do! So _fuck your mouth shut—_"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and glared at the boy, "should I say it this way? _Shut up, Naruto_!" The boy pouted, lifting his arms to fold them behind his head, muttering about 'hags' and their 'humpy dumpy fucking freaky craps'. Tsunade sighed and addressed Sakura. "Sakura, please step outside." The instruction confused the team, evident by the way Sasuke was scowling with such animosity –_really, the boy's vulgar with expressions_, Tsunade thought dryly, seeing the Uchiha's sinister expression and Naruto's exaggerated snarl. "I said _please, _didn't I?" she grunted.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke first as if waiting for his order. Sasuke gritted his teeth, running a hand over his hair. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, exhaled grimly and said quietly, "Wait outside." She blinked once and smiled with a strain of confusion and turned to leave. Naruto told her to wait patiently ("we will eat ramen afterwards so don't go wandering off somewhere! You might get lost and who knows, someone might kidnap you!").

As soon as she was outside, someone from the council commented, "such a loyal pet…"

Naruto heard the comment and opened his mouth to snap but Sasuke spoke first.

"Go to hell, fucker." The dark-haired ninja grunted, his expression was calm… _too calm, too collected._ Kakashi sighed, slumping. The antisocial _beauty _really lacked decorum."I don't even want her to stay and taint herself with _your fucking presence._ Whatever it is you have to say, say it now." He added, looking at Tsunade with hooded dark eyes.

She sighed and sat back, "we were alarmed with the report. That was unexpected."

"I agree… but," Kakashi said before the two mannerless boys could retort something coarse. "The circumstances were different. The situation provoked her… rather, there were _people _who played with fire and got burned in the end."

"People…?"

"They came and tried to kill us! No… they tried to take Sakura-chan from us!" Naruto snapped gruffly. "They killed her and—"

Tsunade frowned, "what? _Killed _her and—"

_That_ was something not to be discussed in front of the elders and Jounins. _Stupid Naruto. A stupid nightmare who strut in human flesh_, so Kakashi interrupted her and steered the conversation off that topic.

"They don't have any emblems. They ambushed us and the next day, they came to the Hidden Little Falls, looking for _her._" And Kakashi narrated what happened.

"Hmmm… interesting. A group of ninjas interested with the Project." Tsunade murmured. It seemed that his plan of diversion succeeded.

"And… they seemed acquainted with Mudo-san."

The woman's frown deepened.

"Is that correct, Mudo-san?" asked Kakashi.

The old man lowered his eyes. "Acquainted enough to massacre my wife and daughter."

"I'm… sorry." Tsunade muttered. "But if they knew you, they are also knowledgeable about the fact that you _know_ the location of the scroll."

"I know nothing of that scroll. The location, I know nothing, except its contents which I already discussed with Kakashi."

"…if that's the case—"

"I'll tell you one more thing." Mudo interrupted.

Team Seven turned to him, waiting.

"They're related to _Leaf_."

**86**

Sakura spun around at the sound of a door being pushed open. She heard Naruto's gruff voice and Sasuke's flat reply to the blonde's inquiry.

"…so that they can cut her open and _experiment_?! I'd say FUCKING NO YOU FUCKERS!"

"…lower your voice."

"I CAN SHOUT AS LOUD AS I CAN! She's not a pig you can experiment on!"

Growl.

"What made you think I'd even allow them to pluck a single hair from that stupid florid head?"

Silence.

"Oh."

Naruto looked around and found her standing by the window. "Oi! Sakura-chan!"

The doll waved, grinning. Naruto ran toward her, leaving Sasuke. "Ne, let's pig out!"

"Eh?"

Naruto grabbed her hand. "Eat ramen until we die together, Sakura-chan!" he announced jovially, a manic glimmer on his blue eyes. Sakura opened her mouth to answer but Sasuke took her hand from Naruto's grip.

"Idiot. She's not going anywhere with you."

Naruto made a face. "Why you, asexual bastard! Don't get jealous, Sasuchan—" _Sasuchan_ delivered a punch which landed directly on Naruto's mouth.

"You never fail to amaze me with your idiocy." Sasuke snapped. "Stay away from Sakura. Your stupidity is infectious."

The office door opened again and people filed out. The Elders were the first people to exit, followed by Jounins. They walked pass them without even glancing at the three of them, however, few jounins looked over at them with curious and suspicious gazes. Some wore disgusted faces. It infuriated Sasuke; people hated those things that they cannot understand. How pitiful. So _human._ So typical. Mostly, their eyes lingered at Sakura who looked up at them curiously, tensed at their stares.

"Hmph. Piece of crap. She's better when she's on her knees and—" A male Jounin muttered but Naruto heard it and he snapped. Without warning, Naruto threw a punch and sent the Jounin crashing on the wall. The impact caused a dent and shook the floor.

"_NARUTO!_" Shizune yelled. But Naruto's cold voice laced with brutal malice interrupted the coming reprimand.

"You want some fuck? Some blow job?" he hissed coldly. He pushed a foot against the Jounin's throat, crushing his windpipe under his sandals.

"Naruto— stop…" Sakura began but Naruto continued.

"Do it _with your own dirty mouth asshole!_ I won't tolerate any misconduct toward her! Do it again and I'll _kill _you. You'll be a good boy-toy for my fox pet."

_Show off. _Sasuke thought.

"Naruto…" Kakashi appeared next to him. "Please, your foot's dirty. Have some manners, will you?" he looked at the dent. "And the wall? Tsk. You should have thrown him outside."

"Hn." Sasuke took Sakura's elbow and led her out of the corridor.

"Uchiha!"

The boy stopped, his grip on Sakura's elbow tightened. Sakura looked back, finding that it was the Hokage who called Sasuke. "Sasuke-sama…?" he grunted and looked back with a scowl.

"I already gave my answer." He said monotonously. "No." With that, he tugged at Sakura's arm and pulled her toward the elevators. "Stop looking back."

Sakura glanced at him. "But Naruto—"

Sasuke shrugged, pushing her inside the lift. "He's old. And he's stupid but he can take care of himself." The elevator doors closed. The travel from fourth floor to the ground was short. He took her arm again and pulled her out of the elevator, eventually exiting the building.

"Sasuke-sama… did I make a mess?"

"You did."

She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Hn."

"What did you talk about?"

He shrugged.

"Was she angry?"

"I don't care." Sasuke snapped.

"Will I get punished?"

He remained silent.

"_You're telling me… she has regeneration properties?" asked Tsunade. "Like, her healing process was fast or—"_

"_Something more." Kakashi interjected. "It wasn't just fast."_

"…_are you trying to say," Tsunade began, "she's immortal?"_

Their discovery of her healing ability caused uproar… and a disturbing suggestion. They were planning to surgically cut her _open _and find out what other secrets her precious body was hiding. The thought of her being dissected was sick— he never liked scalpel, moreover, the feel of it on his skin. They wanted to know if she was capable of bleeding— or if she even had blood inside her.

"_Of course, she has, you morons!" Naruto snorted, unimpressed. "She bled to death!"_

His claims did not suffice. They wanted to see it, try it. Cut her and watch her sew herself back together. Like a goddamned machine. But do machines bleed?

_Those… sick bastards._

Unconsciously, his grip tightened. She was flesh and bone, he was sure of it. He saw her bleed. He saw how her puncture wounds closed up and healed. She was…_ something._ It was just that… she's different.

_Yes. She's just…different. _

He knew, he was trying to convince himself.

_That's all. Just different._

"Sasuke-sama?"

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. This girl brought many complications with her. He wondered if his life would be simpler if he had not met her.

"No. There would be no punishment." _Yes. Life would be simpler. I would be a ninja instead of a babysitter._

"But…"

"Forget it."

They arrived in the apartment.

"Where's Mudo-san? Where would he stay?" she asked, remembering the old man. Sasuke released her arm and bent down to rummage through the bushes beside the door. "I… I wished he would stay here. Somewhere near so that I can visit him."

Sasuke shrugged. "Kakashi will take care of him." he retracted a key from below a plant pot.

"_They're related to Leaf." _That's what he said.

So… those white-masked ninjas were related to _Leaf._ They're one of them. One of the Konoha's elites.

But why would Leaf target Sakura? It was _Leaf_ who created her. But Tsunade was adamant; she was not ordering some secret army to capture and kill Sakura. She added that she would not even bother sending an assassination squad when she can _kill_ the Project _herself_. The only underground group of soldiers she was aware of was ROOT which was under the command of Danzo. In the end, the Council was convinced that Mudo was not telling the truth and thus put him under house arrest. Of course, Sasuke could not tell Sakura. She'll annoy him with questions.

"Don't concern yourself with Mudo. He can take care of himself." _But if he was telling the truth, then like Sakura, he's in danger while he's here in the village._ He added mentally, opening the door. "Get inside and take a rest. Tsunade was planning of sending us again in a mission."

"Another…?"

"We have to find the scroll. She insisted that we find the scroll. It would be another journey."

She shrugged, stepping inside after Sasuke. "I'll be fine. I don't get tired. You should get some rest, Sasuke-sama."

"…that's your problem. You refer yourself as an object."

"But _I am._"

"Whatever. Don't get outside without asking my permission."

"Hai, hai… Mr. pissed off-sama!"

"And be quiet."

**87**

"Ohayooo Sasuke-sa— oh?"

Silence.

Sakura blinked and poked her head through the gap. _Still asleep? _Pouting, she stepped further into the threshold of his bedroom (also known as _Battle Command Thou Shall Not Enter Or You Will Die Center)_ with caution. "Sasuke-sama…?" No answer. No movement. The object wrapped in a cocoon of white blanket remained immobile.

…_but it's late! Almost eleven. Was he really that tired?_ She stalked closer, muffling her steps. Her feet stopped and she looked down with a small frown. The boy was on his stomach with his face turned to the opposite side, a blanket covering him from his waist to feet. He was shirtless and his powerful arms were on ether side of his large pillow. Corded muscles popped out from those arms, between the shoulder blades and… the smooth, hairless low back.

Suddenly, her mouth was dry.

_My head is pounding._ And it hurt but she dismissed it.

"Sasuke-sama, wake up!"

He didn't. He didn't even twitch.

Slightly miffed, Sakura leaned down. His dark hair obscured his face. Asleep and guard down, his hair had looked longer and tamed, not sticking out when he was awake and scowling.

She straightened up, snorting quietly. _This is unfair! I'm hungry and he's asleep! _She reached down to shake his shoulder but he moved his face so that he was facing her. Green-golden eyes widened, her hand retreated. Mutely, with bated breath, she stared at his sleeping face which was _surprisingly_ serene and _not _scowling. There were no creases on his forehead and between his eyes. The skin around his mouth was relaxed. And for some reason her machine-oriented mind cannot comprehend, somewhere inside her, _something_ hammered against her ribs. The pulse on her neck throbbed faster, beating, rushing.

_THIS IS SO STRANGE!_ Sakura heaved a sigh and made a firm resolve. _I may be a machine… but I'm hungry! _Her hand reached down and her fingertips barely touched his pale skin when his eyes sprang open and narrowed darkly. She almost screamed and burst into flames when a hand came and grabbed her wrist in a painful grip, followed by a forceful pull that sent her crashing down face flat on the bed.

"Kyaa— _ow!_" she gasped when a knee crashed down at the small of her back and a kunai was pushed against her neck.

"That hurts!" Sakura whispered.

"What the fuck— I mean, _hell—_ Sakura."

"Hai, hai… it's me." she turned her head around. Half of her body was on the bed with Sasuke's knee on her back and the other half— her legs were dangling off the edge of the bed. Her right arm was stretched out painfully and awkwardly by Sasuke who gripped her wrist.

Sakura winced. "It's… uncomfortable." She paused to swallow. "Sasuke-sama, you're heavy."

Above her, Sasuke stiffened. It _was_. Painfully and embarrassingly uncomfortable. And he was wearing nothing. Except tiny boxers.

Black, pathetic scrap of cloth.

_Damn it._

His thighs and legs were overly exposed. And _something_ else was jutting forward. _Fuck._ Thankfully, the girl was on her stomach and could not see him. Their position was awkward, too. He was almost sitting on her backside, his other knee compressing her hip.

"What are you doing here?" He asked instead.

"It's late. I got worried. I thought you died."

He smirked at her reply. "Idiot." He let go of her wrist first and removed the kunai at her throat. Grabbing the blanket around them, he got off her while wrapping the blanket around his hips. From the corner of his eye, he watched Sakura slowly pushed herself up with a wince on her lips.

"You're violent." She said with a mild shake of her head. "I don't think I'd like to wake up next to you."

Uchiha snorted, looking away. "As if I'd let you sleep next to me in the first place." He glanced at her sharply from the corner of his eye. "Get out."

"Alright, alright… jeez. You're not a morning person, eh?" Sakura stood up and adjusted her apron. It was white and thigh-length and most importantly, at least in Sasuke's opinion, ruffle-free. Under the apron was a yellow sundress with elbow-length loose sleeves, very baggy that he can insert his two hands inside one sleeve and round neckline. Hinata insisted to give it to her even though Sasuke commented that the color will horribly clash with pink hair.

And the neckline was _low._

"It's day off, idiot. I'm privileged to sleep in."

"Oh. I didn't know you sleep in. You gave off this aura that you're a type of person who would like to obsessively train, meditate and whatever it was you like to do in the morning."

"Hn." Sasuke swung his legs off the bed, making sure his thighs and _whatever_ flesh he had under the blanket will remain covered.

"Hn?" echoed Sakura.

Sasuke exhaled, suppressing his temper. He looked up to her curious big green eyes and frowned. "I'm going down in a minute." He growled. She grinned cheekily and bowed as though teasing him.

"Hai, your wish is my command, ne? Or something like that."

"Just go."

Pink delicate brows scrunched in the middle. "What a mean person."

He narrowed his eyes threateningly.

Sakura raised her hand up. "I'm going, I'm going…" At the sound of the door closing, indicating Sakura's departure, Sasuke got to his feet and dropped the blanket.

Ever since Sakura came to live with him, he forced himself to wear _something—_ at least, a_ little something_ in bed. The girl had a nasty hobby— _or_ she was developing a nasty hobby of entering his private quarters unannounced. Which was scary. Embarrassing and… annoying.

At first, wearing something in bed was _hell_. It was goddamned itchy. But he thought of field of tomatoes, Itachi's dead body, and the resurrection of his clan… and all the _fucking _itchiness turned into mush.

He grabbed his ankles, stretching his hamstrings, looked down to himself and frowned, disgusted.

_That was a nice dream. _He thought blankly. In large slow steps, he approached the door next to the dresser, while pushing the corner of his boxers down to his hip, the waistline passing over the prominent hip bone—

The door slammed open.

"Sasuke-sama, what do you want…"

Dark eyes stared back at wide innocent golden green eyes.

He had never blushed _so _hard in his life. Amazingly, he had retained an ounce of composure. Although, _composed_ was the last thing he felt like right now. He had his fingers hooked over the corner of his boxers— _that stupid piece of crap_. He was, in fact, in the act of shucking them off: one hand dragging the corner of his boxers down. The waistline was slanted across his naked pelvis, showing a large indecent exposure of sexy right hipbone. It was incredibly obscene, almost _erotic—_

"…for breakfast?" Sakura continued smilingly.

Sasuke blinked.

And he felt his pride burst into tears.

The question hung between them lazily.

Violently flushing, Uchiha turned sharply, ignored her and went inside the bathroom, slamming the door with brute force that shook the wall.

Sakura raised a curious brow. "What was that?"

**88**

"Didn't your machine-mother teach you how to knock?" Sasuke snapped the moment he entered the kitchen, finding Sakura on her knees, scrubbing the floor. He paused for a moment, surprised at the scenario: a pretty girl in an apron, scrubbing _his _floor. A pretty, pretty girl in a yellow sundress with low neckline, on her _knees_, scrubbing his floor.

His pride started to get back to its feet.

"No." She answered, sitting up to her calves. Her pink waist-length hair was tied in a bun, with locks hanging on the either side of her face. "But I made breakfast!" her grin was wide, child-like that Sasuke felt tempted to smile. Just a little.

Instead, he raised an eyebrow skeptically. "They designed you with domestic skills?" He eyed the table doubtfully. The food… looked normal. But unrecognizable. What were those… round things? _That… was that sushi or what? _His forehead creased. From the corner of his eye, he felt Sakura's proud smile. He sat down slowly, picked up his chopsticks and narrowed his eyes.

"Oh yes! I love scrubbing the floors, see? And wiping the dust off, sweeping the floor— though I prefer scrubbing! Cleaning the bathroom, washing dishes, washing your clothes, watering plants—"

Sasuke suddenly choked and coughed. Sakura was on her feet quickly.

"What happened, Sasuke-sama? Are you okay?!"

"Are _you—_" he began venomously, "trying to kill _me?"_

Her eyes widened, looking horror-struck. "WHAT? Of course not! Sasuke-sama… you are my _life _now! You mean everything to _me!_ I would never hurt you! I would even kill—"

Sasuke held up a hand. "Stop." He sighed. _Her domestic skills do not include culinary talent._ He looked at her. "We're going out."

"I'm … sorry?"

He shook his head and stood up. "Clean these up. We're going out."

"We're leaving? But… where are we going?" she asked incredulously. Uchiha waved her question aside, turning to leave the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes lowered to her red knees and bare feet. So small, he thought as his gaze went up to her face. More pink hair fell on her face, and her eyes with gold pupils shone innocently.

"Just do what I say. I'll give you fifteen minutes to clean up, wash up and change." He said plainly. "Wear something… dark. Like navy."

She frowned at his specificity but shrugged, reaching behind her to untie the apron. "You hate yellows, don't you?"

He smirked. "They remind me of that loudmouth idiot."

**89**

They ended up in an open small restaurant with tables and benches. Sasuke jerked his head toward the counter with high stools in front. He wanted to go to Ichiraku but knowing Naruto's uncanny radar-like senses, the blonde nightmare in human flesh will pop out from thin air to annoy him. As much as possible, Sasuke wanted his morning quiet and disaster-free (saved for that _boxers incident _that he wanted to permanently expunge from his memory). Naruto in the morning— no matter how late it was— was bad for his health.

He'd have constipation all day from seeing that whiskered face.

"Was the food really bad that you wanted to eat outside?" asked Sakura with a sour pout on her face.

Sasuke took a spoonful of domburi before giving her a deadpanned look. "I'm insulted you even asked." He shot back monotonously.

Sakura rolled her eyes and cupped her chin as she propped her elbow on the counter. "I guess you're right… I'm not good in everything."

"Exactly. So don't try so hard. Stick to your washcloth and scrub the floor."

"You're mean!"

Uchiha shrugged. "I'm honest."

"Right. Once again, you put my life in perspective." Sakura gave him a lopsided grin, her eyes twinkling. "I'm better on my knees."

It took a moment for the statement to register and when it did, it brought nasty images.

_Fuck._

They ate in silence which was frequently punctuated with random comments from Sakura. "—I don't know but I think I put too much salt, oh nooooo— don't tell _it was sugar!_ It was SUGAR! Why am I so stupid?" she whined in which Sasuke replied with a snort. "You should have told me it was _sugar!_ They were both white and fine and small and—" she stopped suddenly, blinking her wide big eyes.

Sasuke raised a brow.

"Uchiha."

_I see. Strangers. She sensed strangers._

He turned to the voice. It was Hyuuga Neji.

The Jounin/ANBU was with his teammates: Ten-ten, the weapon expert who worked as a Jounin and Rock Lee who was still, _sadly_, clad in green and sporting the same haircut he had when they were Genin, even though he was already a Jounin. Automatically, a frown twisted Sasuke's face. It was obvious and a common knowledge that he disliked Hyuuga and in turn, he was disliked _by_ Hyuuga. The reason behind the animosity was unexplained but Naruto believed that "it was just hormones" which earned him a punch at the back of his head.

"What do you want?" asked Sasuke coldly.

Aware of the acrimony behind the rude question, Neji gave a small haughty smirk which, expectedly, irked Uchiha.

Curious at her master's increase in temper, Sakura glanced over her shoulder. Lee saw her face and metaphorical hearts exploded from his eyes.

"WHAT A FAIR MAIDEN!"

The diners looked around. Ten-ten exhaled sharply and shook her head. _Lee, Lee… you never learned!_

Sasuke twitched at the volume while Sakura blinked in surprise. Lee spun her stool around so that she was facing him and the rest of the Team Gai. Ten-ten looked curious, Neji merely raised his brow. Still holding her chopsticks, Sakura studied the stranger's features: eager black eyes, thick eyebrows above those eyes and a sparkling smile. He looked kind with a gentle aura.

"PLEASE! TELL ME YOUR NAME! LET ME HEAR YOUR SWEET VOICE OH ANGELIC ONE!"

Sakura blinked. "Do you… have to yell?" Lee swooned and was captivated even more. Strangely, he even sparkled with stars.

"WHAT A MAGICAL VOICE! LIKE AN ANGEL'S CALLING TO ME! WHAT'S YOUR NAME?" Lee beamed at her and Sakura was bewildered. She jumped slightly when the bowl-cut boy took her hands. She turned her face to Sasuke as though asking for permission.

"You better take your hands off her." Sasuke said instead. "Before you get burned."

"EH?" Lee looked at Sakura who stared back innocently with a faint smile. Seconds later, Lee snatched his hands off as if he was electrocuted. His palms were flushed.

"I'm sorry…" Sakura chuckled nervously, scratching her hair.

Sasuke smirked.

"I'm not comfortable with… mmm, sudden contact with someone who was alarmingly forward and loud and…"

"Her name is Sakura." Sasuke grunted.

"Sakura?" Ten-ten raised a brow. "Figures." She added, gesturing at the odd color of her hair. Obviously, the weapon expert hadn't heard about the _Sakura_ who supposedly can light fires.

"It's the Heiko shi hen kei." Neji said.

"Oh?" Sakura looked at Sasuke, grinning widely. "Am I popular, Sasuke-sama?"

"You wish." Sasuke scowled at Neji who activated his Byakugan and was scrutinizing the girl. A deep frown was marring the pale-eyed boy's forehead. "What is it?"

"I was told that she was… different." Neji replied without glancing at him.

Sasuke grunted. "She's not a _person_, if that's what you're trying to say."

"How… strange."

"What's strange?" asked Sakura, frowning at Neji. The coffee-haired boy deactivated his Byakugan and shrugged.

"Her chakra system is not different form yours, Uchiha." Neji said, looking at Sasuke.

"What do you mean?"

Neji waved a bandaged hand toward Sakura. "She got a human chakra system, a human digestive system, a human circulatory system— in simpler terms, she's a _human being_."

Sasuke frowned sharply. "Elaborate on the term 'human being'."

Raising a thin brow, Hyuuga crossed his arms and looked at Sasuke with mild scorn. "If your definition of _human being_ is close to 'a species who walked in four legs', I'll be bothered."

Dark eyes narrowed disdainfully. Sakura blinked and stared at Uchiha.

"And if _your _definition of _human being _is close to 'someone who got a flamethrower inside her head', I'll be fucking bothered as well. That—" Sasuke enunciated stiffly that made Sakura wince, "is someone 'who got a _flamethrower_ inside that tiny pink head'. If _that_ is your idea of _normal _human being, your clan got the right to chuck you off to second class branch family."

Oh. How dark Neji's face had become.

Ten-ten and Lee raised their brows.

"I don't get this 'flamethrower' thing here—" Ten-ten intervened.

Sakura moved closer to Sasuke, wearing a confused expression. Her eyes were wide and the irises were pale green. "Sasuke-sama… what does he mean? I… I'm not what he thinks I am, right?" She looked dazed.

"Forget it." Sasuke snapped and glared at Neji. "And keep _your_ damned eyes off her, are we clear?" he leaned forward as if to emphasize his point. His eyes narrowed threateningly. "Keep quiet about your assumptions when she's around." Neji raised a brow but kept silent. Satisfied, the dark-haired ninja stepped back.

_The last thing I needed was to be asked with questions that I don't have answers to. _Sasuke thought grimly. _Her curiosity is dangerous._

"What is it that you wanted from me?"

Neji's face transformed into a practiced frown. "We have a mission that requires a six-man team. Hokage-sama told me to take your team with us."

_A mission?_ Sasuke squinted._ But I thought we're leaving to look for the scroll?_ Under his lashes, he glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eye.

_Deliberately choosing us? _

_Is it because of Sakura? Does the Hokage want to experiment her and find out more about her abilities? _

Was this a mission that will test Sakura's abilities? If so,_ they wanted Hyuuga to analyze the inner mechanism of her body with his goddamned fucking eyes. He'll know everything that will happen inside her body, record them, analyze them and report them._

And what's next?

_Cut her open and shove their hands inside her._

Briefly, he imagined her face as they tried to cut her open.

He felt his stomach tighten.

"Uchiha."

Sasuke lifted his deep-set, cold eyes. "Looks like you can't do everything on your own."

Neji scoffed. "You _Uchihas _are all arrogant dogs."

A dark, sinister smirk tugged at the corner of Sasuke's lips.

"And you're the bitch."

**90**

Naruto was beside himself.

"OH YEAH! A mission! _Yosh!_" he cheered as soon as he heard about the news. "What is it about? I'm hoping it's something big and flashy! Not boring and all that freaking sap! There are six of us so I'm betting it's exciting!"

"It sure is, Naruto-kun! A youthful mission it would be!" Lee joined in the cheering. Naruto, for a second, looked doubtful. He never liked the word "youthful". The word had a weird power to conjure an image of massive eyebrows.

He shuddered.

"This," Neji began, catching their attention, "is a search and destroy mission."

"Search and destroy?" repeated Naruto.

"Yes. We're searching for a _Maho _generator."

"Maho?" Ten-ten frowned thoughtfully. "As in, like the huge jewels that can be converted into various forms of electricity?"

"Yes." Neji nodded. "The Land of Maho had an abundant supply of Maho. The generator converts it into energy. However, the generator does not only produce power but also waste products that kill people and livestock. This led to a revolt and a civil war in Maho. Furthermore, this generator had captured the Five Great Countries' attention. Eventually, if mass-produced, this will cause an imbalance of power among the Great Countries." Neji spread out the mission scroll. "Our objectives are, first: search for the generator. Second: destroy it and the manuscripts that instruct the construction of the generator."

"Sounds fun but—" Naruto shrugged, folding arms behind his head. "With your team alone, you can accomplish this mission easily. You don't need… back up."

"It's the Hokage's decision to take Team 7 with us. And you're not back-up, jeez." Ten-ten said.

"Blaaaah." Naruto pouted, jumped to his feet and stretched his hamstrings. "When do we leave?"

Neji rolled up the mission scroll and straightened up. "Tonight. 9PM."

"Dattebayo! I can still have ramen for dinner before we take off." Naruto grinned. "Ne, teme, Sakura-chan, see ya at Ichiraku with your things!"

"I'm cooking, Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.

The blonde beamed. "Sugoi… I'd love to—"

"No." Sasuke interrupted sharply. "You _will _not step a foot inside my apartment." He growled at Naruto who snorted. "And _you,_" he turned to Sakura, squinting. "Stay out of the kitchen. Except when you're scrubbing the floor. We'll meet in Ichiraku."

"Don't be late." Neji said before walking off with his teammates (with tugging and dragging in Lee's case)

"Dattebayo! Yosh, yosh! See ya tonight!" Before Naruto could flee, Sasuke had grabbed the back of his jacket. "Hey, what now? Get off, Sasuchan!"

A sinister, triumphant smirk twisted Sasuke's lips. "We're training, did you forget?"

Naruto's blue eyes filled his tanned, whiskered face. "Training? With _you_? No way, man. I don't want to be some stupid scarecrow you can experiment your fucking pyro techniques with!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's childishness. His large hand gave a rough tug and the blonde ninja stumbled backward.

"Don't be an idiot, _idiot_."

**91**

The two male ninjas jumped back from each other. The blonde collapsed to his backside, huffing, beads of sweat rolling down his neck. Across him, Sasuke bent down, putting his hands on his knees as he panted through his mouth.

After a while, as he regained his stamina, the dark-haired started to trudge toward Naruto who managed to drag himself under the shade of an oak tree.

"Gyah!" The blonde lied down to his back, spreading his legs out.

With poise, like the Uchihas before him, Sasuke dropped to the ground beside the blonde, breathing heavily. Sweat rolling from his neck to inside his shirt. Exhaling sharply, he tugged at his collar harshly.

"I don't like the idea of going on a mission with Hyuuga." Sasuke heaved after a while.

Naruto rolled his blue eyes at him. "Asshole. You never liked people. You prefer burning scarecrows. I wonder why you hated Neji." Sasuke was tempted to spit on Naruto's face. Was it a wonder to hate Hyuuga? It wasn't. It shouldn't be. But of course, knowing Naruto's intelligence…

"…both of you are arrogant clan-assed. You should love one another. After all, birds of the same feathers are the same bird!" he continued, wiping his face with the back of his forearm.

"You parasitic idiot."

"HEY!"

"What I'm trying to say, you pathetic excuse of a blob, is that I don't trust Hyuuga. I have a bad feeling that he's under the orders of Hokage and the Council to spy on Sakura."

Naruto sat up quickly, cricking his back. "Spy… on _her_?" Blue eyes looked across the training ground. Sakura was busy running after butterflies and tripping in the process. The eyes swung back to Sasuke. "They wanted to spy _on her_? Look at her!" he motioned wildly at the girl.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his expression twisting on a pained look. "You're pathetic, didn't you know that?"

Naruto put his hands in the air, waving them. "Fine, fine! I know what you mean! I was joking, you know!"

"Then, you're _not _funny."

"You jackass. You don't have sense of humor, I pity you. Anyway, those old shriveled up assholes can just rot somewhere dark, wet and sad. Why do they obsess over Sakura-chan? Afraid that she'll blow up herself and Konoha? Look at her! She's running after _butterflies _and getting her knees skinned!"

The pale boy grunted and leaned against the trunk, scowling.

"And she _got_ you, asshole! She got you to control her. Whatever you say, she'll do it for you. Their paranoia has no basis."

"It has." Uchiha growled. "Remember Hidden Little Falls? It can happen to Konoha."

Naruto chuckled. "Like I said, she got you. She'll do anything for you, won't she? You are her trigger. She's the bullet. Or the flamethrower."

He hated to admit it, but the blonde nightmare had a point.

"And I trust her."

Dark blue-tinted hair fell over his eyes softly.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You said it yourself: you trust her. Like the way she trust you. Don't treat her as a human explosive tag. That's what you said, bastard!" Naruto pulled down the zipper of his jacket. He heaved and looked at his friend under his lashes.

"She maybe a non-living thing, but the way she smiles, I have my doubts."

Sasuke smirked. _This _will irk Naruto. "Your doubts have basis. Dobe."

"Eh?"

"Hyuuga checked her—"

Naruto gawked. "You mean— Neji _CHECKED HER OUT?_" he bellowed.

"He used Byakugan on her. He saw she's a living thing." Sasuke smirked amusedly as Naruto's face grew very red.

"Checking Sakura-chan out… that freaky white eyes!"

"Shut up! Did you listen? It means she's human."

Naruto's mouth clamped shut and his blonde brows went up to his hairline. "But—"

The dark-haired ANBU shrugged. "She got what normal people have inside their bodies."

"Like… stomach, liver and intestines? Those yucky stuffs?"

"Aa."

Naruto gaped with a funny silly expression. "But… I thought she was made of steel and cogwheels. You know… those cool high tech shiny stuffs!" Sasuke shrugged, deadpanned.

"Hey…"

Sasuke glanced at his friend flatly. Naruto stared back with childlike wonderment.

"Does that mean her breasts are _real_?"

-

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Oh. Thank you very much for reading _Ragdoll Sakura._ Thank you for the reviews (criticism, get-to-work-you-lazy-ass messages, appreciation, good luck reviews, and everything else there is) and the time you wasted/invested/shared with my piece of fangirling work. Thank you very much! -**angel**_pup_peteer


	13. Dreams, turn into ideals

**R**

**A**

**G **

**D**

**O**

**L**

**L **

**S**

**A**

**K**

**U**

**R**

**A**

_yume, _

_risou ni kaeru_

**92**

Sasuke had never punched someone _so _hard in his life. And Naruto had never been punched _so_ hard in his life.

Truly. Madly. _Deeply._

They were meant to be.

**93**

Team Gai, with Team Kakashi, left Konoha at exactly nine o'clock PM.

(it wasn't so hard to notice Naruto's purple, very painful-looking swollen cheek… and Sasuke's smug, and creepy, and oddly jazzy smirk

"Aw, fuck, I was just thinking aloud,"

Sasuke looked at him blankly, "loud, yes. Thinking, no shit."

"YOU ASS—"

"if you want to keep your front teeth, shut the fuck up.")

That night, watching the moon-lit Konoha, the lady Hokage was standing by the window. From the distance, she can see the twin round lanterns of Ichiraku. Faintly, a small smile appeared on her lips.

"…for sure, Uchiha will notice,"

The faint smile vanished instantly, as if scrubbed. Tsunade didn't jerk in surprise upon hearing the voice coming outside the open widows.

"…that you have Hyuuga around his neck."

Tsunade snorted as she turned away from the windows. "Of course." She said with a slight roll of her eyes, turning back to the desk strewn with official-looking papers. "That boy is astonishingly clever. The mission is easy. A team of Team Gai's caliber could handle such mission." Brown eyes narrowed, a strained frown wrinkled her forehead. Absent-mindedly, she swept her hand over the top of her table. Unfinished paperwork was stacked neatly at the corner of the table. Few papers were scattered. At the top was a paper with a heading: HEIKO SHI HEN KEI.

Brown brows furrowed and Tsunade looked away.

"The Council is persistent." She said, suppressing the fatigue underneath the steel layer of her tone. "They want her examined. They want to map out the terrain inside that tiny brain."

"I don't understand why the Project… —" Jiraiya stepped out of the shadows, now bathed in moonlight. His bushy hair made a bulky shadow across the floor of the dark office. "…is a big deal. It was an object made for _Konoha_. It didn't come out like a huge bazooka or special jutsu but _Heiko shi hen kei_ was created to protect the village."

Tsunade threw Jiraiya a dry look. "Why are you so sure that _it _was made to protect the village?"

When Jiraiya shrugged, she snorted, unimpressed."I don't believe that they made it to protect the village. They created it to prove their genius."

"The First would be rolling madly in his grave if he hears that." Jiraiya promptly closed his mouth at Tsunade's deadly glare.

"The Project created a disturbance among the ranks of ninjas. I believe it will bring disasters."

Jiraiya smirked slyly. "Don't worry. Uchihas have the power to make disasters their slaves."

Something about what he said jerked an expression on Tsunade's face. She hesitated and Jiraiya sensed it. With a slow turn of her head, Tsunade stared back with grim, almost dire expression. With an almost sinister air, the half of her face was shadowed and her brown eye was hooded as she spoke.

"I was informed…" She paused, contemplatively. "Danzo wanted to create a breeding farm."

Jiraiya made a sour face. "Danzo, eh? He's crazy, isn't he? Breed an army of human torches, eh?" He leaned on the window frame, frowning disapprovingly. "So, he wanted to create his own disaster. A monster he can control."

"The idea was… tempting, isn't it?" the woman said quietly.

"Are you crazy?" Jiraiya laughed and grinned. "I don't want a monster who can throw a fireball at me instead of a wet flying kiss! I'd rather breed a thousand comfort dolls, you know? With massive coconuts and—" A fist hit the side of his head. The man groaned and felt his brain jiggled inside his skull.

_Crazy… woman._

"The white masked ninjas who attacked Team Kakashi in Hidden Little Falls are _from _Leaf. That's what Mudo had said." Tsunade sat down in her chair.

"And you believed him?"

"He doesn't have any reasons to lie about something as delicate as this. The man was an elite ANBU captain who knew the dirt of Konoha like the back of his hand. He seemed to be close with Yondaime and I have a hunch that he was involved with Project Sakura. And when I said 'involved'— it means he's _directly _involved. I believed he can help us unearth the secrets of Heiko shi hen kei."

Jiraiya raised a brow at her. "Why are you doing this again?"

"I want the truth."

The brow lowered. "The truth has many faces."

"Nevertheless, I want the truth and I want it now." Tsunade paused, pensive. "Aren't you curious? Uchiha and Hyuuga cooperating to make something. Uchiha cooperating with my _grandfather _to make something. Instead of a jutsu… they made a doll?"

Jiraiya shook his head, "your curiosity will someday kill you, that's what I'm so sure about."

"Shut up." Tsunade snapped. "What bothers me is that she got what humans got inside their bodies. And yet, the diary says," her red-polished nail tapped the diary entry highlighted in green marker, "it's a non-living thing."

"Maybe she's a clone or something. A dummy who got a nice face and body."

A sharp exhale escaped the Hokage. "She's acting far more than a clone!"

"Be thankful, then. It's crazy but… we're talking about the Haruno family here. And Uchiha. The Hyuuga Clan. And your grandfather. Put them together and you get a crazy mix."

Tsunade heaved a deep sigh. "I know."

"So, what do you want me to do, aside from watching your quest for greatness?"

"I want you to keep an eye on Mudo."

"You want me to baby-sit someone as old as myself?" the man bellowed in disbelief.

"Yes. I want him monitored. Peek together. Eat together. Die together. That kind of babysitting." Tsunade snapped with a sneer. "It's about time you do something aside from shrinking your own brain."

**94**

The two Jounin teams arrived in the Land of Maho after three days of travel. It was located 145 kilometers from Land of Earth, surrounded with walls of mountains. Ahead of them was a clear field of dry earth. Land of Maho, unlike Earth and Fire, was a non-ninja land. It was more oriented to business and agriculture. That was the reason why Konoha was extremely concerned with the situation the Maho was facing. Ninja business wasn't their forte. But the Maho Generator… was something the Five Great Countries would like to get their hands on.

"We're here." Hyuuga Neji announced, landing on his feet noiselessly. The others stopped around him, except for Sakura who perched on a tree branch, looking out to the dry field.

The team members were not on their typical Jounin uniforms. As suggested by Neji, they chose to travel as civilians, their forehead protectors tucked safely inside their bags. As much as possible, they wanted to be inconspicuous. Furthermore, one of their agendas was to steer Leaf off the blame list.

"That's Maho?" Sakura looked over the thick branches and dry field, eyeing the massive walls. "They're like a walled city. Looks unfriendly. I like Konohagakure more. I like tress, flowers and—"

Sasuke looked up, and then twitched. "Sakura."

"Yes?"

"Get the hell down from there." _Your panties are showing, you idiot._

"But I like the view here! It's great! See it for yourself!"

Sasuke's lip twitched, _damn right, the view is great, idiot. _Naruto raised a brow, noticing the faint blush on Sasuke's cheeks.

"Sakura." The Uchiha growled. The pink-haired sighed.

"Fine, fine! I'm going down, down— _down—_" she landed beside Sasuke easily. "What are we doing here?" The hems of her dress— red with short sleeves and made of cotton— rose higher than what was proper.

"Listen to him." Sasuke jerked his chin toward Neji.

Sakura looked up to him, "but _I _only listen to you."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Be quiet and listen to him." Sakura pouted. As Neji discussed the mission, Sakura tilted her head in a listening gesture, turning her face to the side. Her ears perked up, catching a noise.

"Sasuke-sama." The gold of her eyes glimmered, shinning like neon lights and slowly, the gold pupils consumed the green irises.

Dark eyes narrowed, not looking at her. "I said, listen to Hyuuga."

Suddenly, a look of terror crossed her face. "Sasuke-sama, the village—" Surprising Sasuke, Sakura ran off. Uchiha cursed tersely, calling after her.

"Stop, Sakura!" The girl didn't as much as look at him. "Damn it, you idiot!" Ignoring Neji's orders of "stay put, Uchiha!", Sasuke followed the girl. Naruto later pursued the two, and then, Team Gai followed.

"Sakura!"

She had reached the clearing that led to the walled village. Her pace quickened, "STOP!"

"Sakura—"

The silence was loud, a clear warning—

…

(tick-tock)

…

(tick-tock)

Sakura ran, and in Sasuke's point of view she seemed to run in a slow-mo—

…

(tick-tock)

…

Silence, deafening, loud. Hanging like a thread. It was as if the sounds of the world were muted. Only movements in slowmo was preserved: sandals thudding the ground, Sasuke running, a hand reaching out, lips mouthing her name, blue skies, cloudy skies, blinking birds, floating leaves, pink hair rippling, she ran, ran, _ran—_

A huge explosion shook the earth.

The sounds came back. And the sounds were unpleasant, loud, chilly.

Violent.

Sakura skidded to a halt. Dust rose around her feet, gravel scrunched under the soles of her shoes. Her gold eyes were wide and popping.

……

… "_NOOOOOOOOOOOO_!" Her scream reverberated, drowned by the force of the explosion that tremble the earth. Reaching her, Sasuke harshly grabbed Sakura around her waist and pulled her down to the ground, almost slamming her body to the ground. His large body covered hers as gravel, chunks of earth rose and fell. Above them, the sky had turned black and gray, smoke-filled and a huge mushroom-shaped smoke and fire covered the atmosphere.

"Damn it…" Sasuke grasped Sakura's head tightly against his chest. _What the hell was that?_ The explosion caused an earthquake for a few minutes. He waited, unconsciously putting his tremendous weight on Sakura. By the time the earthquake was finished, Sasuke heard Naruto's screams.

"SAKURA-CHAN! SASUKE! DAMN IT!" Sasuke pushed himself up to his hands and knees. He looked down to Sakura who was wincing under his tremendous weight. Her pink hair was fanned out under her head. With his large hand, he cupped the side of her head roughly.

"Sakura, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Sasuke demanded. Her face was flushed and her eyes were glazed over.

"Your hand…" Sakura whispered huskily. Sasuke blinked, bewildered, frowning heavily. "…it's heavy."

"What… the hell—" he looked down, his gaze traveled slowly from her flushed face to—

"I can't… breathe. Your hand… is heavy…—"

-her chest, where his hand was planted firmly on her right breast. Immediately, Sasuke's face erupted into a violent shade of crimson. He snatched his hand up and grabbed her upper arm instead. "You annoying… idiot." He snapped hotly and got up, pulling her up roughly. Naruto was running toward them, Team Gai behind him.

"Hey! You okay?"

"We're fine." The boy grunted, still embarrassed. "Sakura," Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her, indicating he wanted an explanation. Once she was on her feet and steady, she gripped the front of Sasuke's shirt and looked up to him, her eyes teary.

"They blew up the market, Sasuke-sama!"

His eyes widened. _Blew up? Like—_

Green eyes glimmered like neon. "They blew it up and there are people everywhere— women, children—"

"How did you—" Neji began but Sakura interrupted him.

"I saw it!" She turned back to Sasuke, "don't ask me how but it's true! We've got to help them—"

"And how is that possible?" Neji cut off, sharply. "You can't bring people back to life, can you?" Sasuke squinted, indifferent with the remark. Neji continued, "We find the generator and destroy it! That's the only way to stop the civil war." Sakura opened her mouth but Sasuke's grip on her arm tightened. He shook his head slightly and stared at her hard. Defeated, she dropped her gaze and her hands from his shirt.

"How much time do we have?" asked Sasuke.

"Three days. Aside from the generator, we also have to search for the people involved in this mess." Hyuuga replied curtly, eyeing Sakura suspiciously.

Sasuke nodded once. "Alright. Let's go in."

"Are you crazy?" Ten-ten exclaimed. "We can't just go in there while people bomb each other!"

Dark eyes narrowed. "There's a war going on. You don't expect a welcoming committee, do you?"

_This… hateful jerk!_ Ten-ten thought hotly. "Fine! Neji, wear these dark glasses— AND DON'T COMPLAIN. We can't let people stare at you! Your eyes will draw attention and they screamed 'we're from Leaf and we're here to kill your neighbor'."

Neji looked affronted at the description, nonetheless, with the Tenten was shoving the huge, round dark glasses to his face, he had no options left but to accept and wear them. No matter how stupid they looked on him and him wearing them.

And then, Ten-ten turned to Sakura and Sasuke, her eyes on Sakura's hair. "And Barbie doll, wear your hood, please. Your hair's annoyingly bright and _I_ don't want to be asked whether your hair was natural or dyed."

**95**

"Ten-ten, Lee and I will search the land for the generator. The three of you will try to gather information about the people responsible for the Maho generator project." Neji was saying. "And that's the plan."

Naruto gawked, "that's _the _plan?"

Neji frowned as a response.

"Right." Naruto drawled. "You do the fun part. We do the boring part. Great."

"Dobe, shut up."

The blonde ninja turned to Sasuke and threw his hands up in the air to emphasize his point. "But it's true! It's boring! We find people to torture while they find something to blow apart!"

"Naruto has a point." Sakura said with an innocent shrug. Pleased, Naruto grinned at her.

"Sakura, shut up."

The girl pouted broodingly, still upset with the bombing that occurred the day before. She was standing by the window, watching the street below them from their second floor room. "I want to go home…" she murmured softly.

"We can. If you do your job." Neji said, strapping a kunai around his ankle. He still wore his dark glasses, due to Ten-ten's insistence. "The earlier we find the generator and the people involved, the earlier we finish this mission." He drew himself up to his full height, looking around his teammates. "Do your job."

Both Naruto and Sasuke looked at the Hyuuga from the corner of their eyes, disdain evident on their features. It was apparent, but Neji ignored them, whilst Lee smiled in the background with anxiety.

"With your… _abilities—" _Neji continued as he looked at Sakura directly. "I'm sure this is a child's play."

Sasuke and Naruto narrowed their eyes.

Sakura bit her lip, her eyebrows making a thin line above her heavy-lidded eyes, matching Neji's even stare.

The strict captain opened the door and left without a word. Ten-ten and Lee followed, the latter bothered to say goodbye, closing the door behind him.

"See ya, Fuzzy-brows!" Naruto called after Lee. As soon as the door was shut, the blonde let out a curse and plopped back to the bed facedown. "That white-eyed freak! I hate his guts…"

Sasuke silently agreed, watching Sakura who slid down to the floor, hugging her knees. Slowly, he approached her and squatted in front of her.

"Oi."

Smilingly, Sakura looked up. Pink bangs fell over her eyes. "Are you going to ask if I'm okay?"

Sasuke snorted, Naruto chuckled, watching the two.

"Well, I'm fine, thank you. You'll ask, _are you sure?_ I'll say, yes!"

The dark-haired ninja shook his head, hiding a smirk. "I'm starting to dislike you."

"Oh?" Sakura poked Sasuke's cheek playfully. And surprisingly, the boy didn't dodge the touch. "It means you like me, right? Ohhh, how sweet."

"Idiot." With his long index finger, Sasuke flicked her forehead and seized her arm to pull her up to her feet.

**96**

"The village suffered a lot." Naruto remarked, looking around. The atmosphere was dreary and tensed. Villagers constantly looked around nervously, as though waiting for a bomb to explode in their feet.

"The sooner we found the assholes responsible for the Maho mess, we'll kill them as soon as possible." Sasuke grunted, keeping his guard up and his lashes lowered. As expected, Sakura turned to him with a shocked look.

"Kill them? Kill _peopl_e…?" Sakura intoned with feeling.

Sasuke raised a brow flatly. "Kill them. Do I have to spell it out for you?"

Sakura frowned. "But they're _people_."

He snorted. "Being a person doesn't guarantee that the person acts a human."

"Still—"

"Awww, Sakura-chan… let me tell you about the different types of people." Naruto grinned lopsidedly. "The Basics of Human Nature—"

"That's shit." Naruto made a face as Sasuke snapped. "You listen to me. We need to eliminate those people to restore peace in Maho. What they do, what they create and design– the _Maho Generator _– is what tears this place apart. This is a mission and as a ninja, you don't view the matter as a _person._ This is strictly business, nothing personal."

"…so, you view people's lives as a business, huh?" said Sakura, brows lowered.

Sasuke arched a brow.

"I'm not a person but… I value human lives."

The two male ninjas exchanged looks.

Uchiha snorted softly. "You value it… because you craved for it, didn't you?"

Sakura stared.

Growing uncomfortable with her unblinking stare, Sasuke cleared his throat, not meeting Sakura's direct gaze. "Whatever." He pushed his fists inside his pockets. "I don't care about your views, Sakura. If you don't want to fight, fine. Step aside and watch us do it for you."

"But—"

"You're not from here, aren't you?" A voice interrupted.

Sasuke withdrew his heated gaze from Sakura and looked where the voice came. A young woman— probably three years older than him— was watching the three of them with curiosity. Her hair was dark brown and she had prudent gray eyes. "You don't look familiar. You… are foreigners, aren't you?"

The three Leaf ninjas exchanged looks. _This woman is…_ "We're travelers." Sasuke replied promptly.

"Oh. I knew it. The three of you are good-looking people." She said in a straightforward tone. Even her gray gaze was direct. "There are very few good-looking people here."

_She's one of the few._ Sakura thought, smiling politely.

"Ano…" Sakura scratched her cheek shyly while Naruto grinned toothily. "You are…"

A small smile tugged at her thin lips. "Kaoru."

Sakura grinned lopsidedly. "I am…" Catching Sasuke's eyes, she lowered her gaze, closing her mouth.

"Forgive my little sister's frankness." Sasuke stated formally. Beside him, Naruto arched a brow, _little sister, huh? _The dark-haired ninja stared back flatly as he continued. "She's terribly curious."

Kaoru smiled. "It's okay." Her gray eyes lifted to stare at Sasuke's dark orbs. "Are you lost? This village is in civil war. I don't think you'll like to stay here to relax."

Naruto feigned a surprised, worried expression. "A civil war?"

Sasuke mentally applauded Naruto's acting skills. The blonde's an idiot but as an actor, Naruto was superb. Not that Sasuke would state it verbally.

"…what happened? What caused the war?" the blonde continued.

The woman sighed first before replying, "It's Maho Generator plus sibling rivalry plus jealousy plus power hunger… equals to _civil war_!"

"Sibling rivalry?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "what do you mean?"

"Oh, you're amateurs, aren't' you?" Sasuke suppressed a snort, _amateurs?— are you kidding me?_ "Oh well, Arisawa Kiseki and Gin are half-brothers. Kiseki-sama is the village's leader. Gin is a bastard who envied his brother's position. Kiseki-sama appointed his brother to be his assistant even though Gin knows nothing but greed. He supported the mass construction of generators while Kiseki-sama doesn't. He knew that the waste product is killing people and livestock! It's poisoning the villagers and the animals."

"But Gin recognized the wealth and military power the generator twill bring." Sasuke said, quietly.

Kaoru nodded. "Yes. I lost my husband in this silly war."

Sasuke saw Sakura flinch, probably remembering Mudo.

"He was supporting Kiseki-sama. The North Maho—" Kaoru pointed, "was taken by Gin's ninjas. This town— the major town of Maho— is the remaining stronghold of Kiseki-sama's loyal supporters. But yesterday, the market was bombed and many people died. I lost my friend there… she's only sixteen."

"I'm sorry…" Sakura murmured.

A smile was the last thing Sasuke was expecting from the woman who had lost two important people in her life. "It's okay. It's getting more violent each day. I suggest you leave the village."

Sakura looked at the gray-eyed woman with a frown. "How about you, why don't you leave this place?"

The woman flashed another prudent smile. "My husband died here. He died for this village. I want… I want to see the end of this conflict. For him. I don't want to leave, he died here and if I'm going to die, I want it to be here."

"…you're very brave." Sakura smiled thoughtfully.

Kaoru laughed. "I got used to it. But what frustrates me and saddens me most is the bleak future of the children living here. To grow up in this violent environment…" she motioned with her hands, "is traumatic."

Her gray eyes were watching the tiny children clutched by their frightened mothers.

"That's why my husband fought in the civil war. He wanted to fight for the future generation of this village."

"That's right." Naruto said quietly.

Sasuke watched the woman with careful eye. "Do you have any idea where Arisawa Gin is?" He asked, careful to keep his tone neutral.

Gray eyes met dark orbs. "Why do you want to know?"

"Curiosity." Sauske shrugged, smirking a little. "He's an asshole."

The woman laughed good-naturedly. "I heard he was in North. That's where he established rule, anyway."

"I see," Sasuke looked at the direction of the North Maho. "Then, we should stay away from North."

"Precisely. They don't like strangers there. So, you better stay here in town. Even though it's dangerous and bombs are part of our daily life."

The two males nodded. "Thank you for you information." Naruto grinned. "We'll be careful."

"Yes, yes… be alert, okay? You'll never know that you're stepping on a bomb already."

"Ehhhh?" Naruto gawked.

Kaoru nodded sympathetically. "That's how dangerous this place is." Her eyes focused on Sakura, eyeing the pink strands of hair curling in front of Sakura's eye. "And look after your little sister very closely."

Sakura blinked at her.

Sasuke scowled. "Why is that?"

The woman smiled, "Gin is known to be… very _curious_ with exotic things.He likes a lot of pretty things. Be it an object or…" Her gray eyes darkened, "a _person_."

Naruto didn't like the sound of it.

"We'll just look for supplies, and then we leave as soon as possible." Sasuke said, becoming aware of the stares of the people around them. _How long will it take for Gin to discover that there are foreigners in Maho?_

"The market's gone so you'll have trouble for sure. If you want, I can help you. What do you need?"

Sakura shook her head, smiling. "No, it's okay. We can manage."

"My little sister is right." Sasuke agreed. "If we can't find supplies, that's alright. We'll just leave."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Naruto grinned. "Thank you for kindness, Kaoru-san!"

"Hai. Be careful. Stay away from North, alright?"

"Hai."

**97**

"YOU WILL GO WITH US IN NORTH MAHO?" Naruto bellowed after hearing Neji's decision.

"Yes." Neji replied calmly.

"BUT… WHY? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AFTER THE GENERATOR!"

"Naruto…" Sasuke growled warningly.

Neji was impatiently leaning against a wall, facing Naruto. "If we find Gin, he'll tell us where to find the generator."

The blonde ninja made a face. "That's crap. What made you think he'll tell us?"

"Enough, Naruto." Sasuke intervened, standing up with a fist inside his pocket. "Remember, we are just back-up." He gave Neji a piercing glare.

"Why don't we just go?" Tenten said impatiently.

"Exactly. Let the youthful youthfulness in our youth prevail!" Lee pumped a fist in the air excitedly.

Naruto looked at Lee blankly. "The way you said it made me doubt your sanity."

**98**

From the concealed treetops, six figures perched and watched what little they could see of North Maho. As expected, the place was plain, very, _very _plain. No life. No noise, nor bright lights. The security was passable. In Sasuke's opinion, it was easy to breach, as long as the infiltration was smooth and _quiet._

Tenten inched closer to Neji. "What's the plan? How do we get inside without rousing suspicion?" she nodded at the two guards stationed at the main gate. "They don't look friendly."

"Knock them out?" suggested Naruto though the transmitter.

"Smile?" Sakura whispered.

"Greet them!" said Lee with enthusiasm.

Sasuke snorted. "I go with Naruto's suggestion. As much as it pains me…"

"Shut up, bastard. I'm cool and you know it!"

"If cool means stupid, yeah, you're cool."

"Direct assault is risky." Neji cut off, before Naruto could fire back.

"How about we waltz in and pretend as Maho villagers?" Tenten said.

"No." Sasuke opposed. "Someone in town recognized the three of us as foreigners. There is no guarantee that those guards will play pretend with us."

"What do you suggest?" Tenten said, a little impatience hinted her tone.

"Just kill them."

"No!" Sakura argued, "you _just _can't—"

"We can't waste our time dawdling here." Neji slowly straightened up. "I like Sasuke's suggestion."

Uchiha smirked, standing up as well.

"You two are violent badass guys." Tenten muttered under her breath. Sasuke jumped down from his tree branch, landing noiselessly, followed by Neji, Lee, Naruto, Tenten and Sakura.

**99**

Across them, standing in front of the gates, the two guards squinted as six silhouettes approached.

"Who's there?" The one on the left shouted. "Curfew is—" There was a blinding flash of blue light that lit up the front of the gates. Six faces greeted their visions, grave and tight.

"What the _hell_—"

The person in front of the group was holding a bright shaft of light in his hand while he held a katana on the other. The shaft elongated, stretching forward.

"Hn."

There was a noise— sharp, piercing, like a noise of thousand birds chirping together, as the shaft of lightning shaped in a form of a blade pierced the air and—

"What the f—"

_chi-chi-chi—chi…_

"You're…" a feminine voice murmured, then, sighed.

"Don't look."

"Sasuke-sama…"

"_Don't look._"

Sakura turned her face away just as the shape manipulated Chidori pierced the guard's chest that elicited a cry of pain. There was a curse from the other guard which was promptly silenced by a kunai hitting his throat. Another piercing cry filled the night as the Chidori burst from the inside, creating spikes of lightning shafts protruding from the inside of the body. Two thuds indicated two bodies hitting the ground.

_Ztttt… zttt_— Silence.

"Sasuke-sama…"

"That was flashy." Neji grunted. "I was about to suggest a more subtle attack."

"Hn."

"Subtle?" snorted Naruto. "Subtle is crap. Let's move!"

"Move at top speed. 4 o'clock!" Neji crouched before disappearing, followed by Tenten and Lee. Team Kakashi followed, jumping, somersaulting and in exactly five minutes, they reached the tower, standing in front of a massive rock formation. Strangely, the entrances were unguarded.

Sasuke glanced at Neji, _what now?_ His expression asked. Veins appeared around Neji's eyes as Byakugan scanned the area.

Neji spoke to the transmitter, "top floor." With a signal, the six ninjas entered the tower, speeding up to the top floor. When they reached a door— the only closed door in the top floor, Neji raised his hand, stopping them. "There are two people inside." His Byakugan narrowed. "…their chakra—"

"What?" urged Lee.

_They're… familiar—_

"Let's go and finish this!" hissed Naruto. The blonde ninja stepped forward and shoved the door open as he stepped inside. However, halfway stepping inside, Naruto stopped, his spine straight and tensed.

"What the… _hell_." Naruto muttered.

Sasuke pushed him aside. "What—" He paused. The rest of the team frowned at the oddity of their actions. Crowding the doorway, the rest of them looked inside.

Familiar cloaks greeted their sight. Black with spots of red.

Red clouds.

And a straw hat with short drapes surrounding the brim.

"…the hell are you doing here?" Sakura heard Sasuke dragged out, coldly, tightly.

The man with straw hat lifted his chin.

"Ah." His voice was smooth and cold. "…foolish little brother."


End file.
